Shifting Tides
by Rose Garden Twilight
Summary: AU-Riley could never stay in the same place, so she runs away on a ship that grants her passage. Things only get more complicated when her Father sends for her. A blonde pirate takes over the ship; and from there her life is never the same. [Rucas, Joshaya, Smarkle]
1. Chapter 1

**A.n.- Welcome to my next story, I'm super excited to share this story with you, it has a special place in my heart. The time period is roughly 1600-1700's. I won't make this Author's note long because I know how long some of you have been waiting to read this.**

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The home had many secret passages and Riley was convinced that even if she spent her whole life here she would never discover them all. The most recent hallways that she found herself wandering to keep her sanity seemed like it was the service corridors that were spread all over for easy access. This hallway took her to the west side of the mansion and took the brunette up the stairs towards the attic. She had never seen this part before; and she could see why, things were scattered everywhere. Chaos would be a word on the tip of her tongue to describe it. Due to her clumsy nature, she did not see the box that was on the ground because her eyes were looking everywhere else. She tumbled to the ground in an unladylike fashion, but overall, she was unscathed. Her head tilted upward to see a painting that was leaning against the wall with a sheet tossed over it in a hurry. She rose to her feet and walked towards it her curiosity taking over. Her fingers gently pushed back the sheet and eventually pealed the dusty fabric completely off revealing the painting. The prominent people in the painting were undoubtedly her parents. Her fingers ran down the frame following her eye line. There was a little girl towards the bottom that resembled her when she was younger, but the one person she didn't recognize was a dark-haired boy with brilliant blue eyes. The painting looked to have captured him when he was about 8 years of age. Her eyes squinted trying to commit to memory the picture because none of it seemed familiar; eventually she pulled the sheet back in place blocking everything to continue in her search of the remaining items in the room.

A box tucked away captured her interest next, the outside was intricate by design and she assumed that was what drew her to it. She unhitched the latch that kept it shut and to her surprise her finger managed to hit a switch on the back releasing the bottom of the box. It fell to the floor starting Riley causing her to jump back. The box was placed on other chest approaching the box's contents carefully. Her fingers picked the paper like object off the floor. Whoever had this in their possession last made a lot of effort to hide it, curiosity gave way and she spread it out across the nearest surface. Imprinted on the smooth surface was a map; of what she did not know. Her fingers traced the paper until it got to the torn edge, it was incomplete. The rip itself was sloppy almost as if it was done in a hurry.

Her trance was broken when she heard one of the servants calling her name. She quickly rolled the paper up and shoved it behind her back before her eyes jumped up to another pair of brown eyes.

"Miss Riley, what are you doing up here?"

"Just exploring." She replied shortly, the less she knew about what she found the better. Riley had never been the best liar, she favored the evasion route.

"But I grow bored, so I'll go elsewhere. Thanks Vanessa." She hurried past her maid and her attempts to get her attempts only hoping that she wouldn't see that she had taken the half-fulfilled map with her. This habit of hers just brought more questions, the one on the forefront of her mind, where was the boy in the painting and did he have anything to do with the map?

The sights and sounds almost made the marketplace seem alive verses the colorful arrangement of people it possessed. She enjoyed mingling with the strangers and hearing their stories because she barely got out of her home. She knew she was on borrowed time because eventually her father would notice that she was gone and send for her. No one seemed to recognized her as she passed by them or if they did they didn't mind her presence. Multiple greetings were given which she happily returned. An apple was exchanged for coins that served as her breakfast to silence her shiny caught her attention between bites drawing her towards a booth.

"A pretty necklace for a beautiful girl?" The shop keeper's words meant to tempt the young girl into purchasing something. Riley's eyes jumped from object to object trying to take it all in.

"It's all so beautiful." The necklaces and bracelets were unique and one of a kind.

"It's all beautiful, that doesn't change when it leaves the ocean." The voice caught her by surprise as she turned and saw a man who was staring intensely at pearls among the other thing.

"I'm sorry?" He looked disheveled and slightly disorganized, Riley had never seen him at the market before.

"The story of how a pearl comes to be is amazing. A little grain of sand gets in an oyster and irritates it until it becomes the pearl within." The information was news to her, but it gave new perspective to the necklaces in front of her.

"How do you know that?" Curiosity got the better of her as she glanced back at the stranger.

"I'm an observer of the world around me."

"Miss, your Father asks you to come with us." The brunette let out a sigh of slight annoyance before tucking the attitude away to slip into the role that was expected of her.

"Excuse me, I have to go." Not many words could explain why she was being escorted away, usually it was best not to explain at all, odds were that she wouldn't see them again. She glanced back at the guy a last time before she rounded the corner and everyone disappeared out of her line of sight. Something that caught her attention was his curiosity about things; when she saw ordinary objects, it seemed like he saw more when he saw them. It was a trait that she admired and wanted to develop in her own life. They passed through the gate which closed behind them; every layer they went through it felt more and more trapped. She knew that when they reached her parents she would get a lecture on sneaking off. Indeed, her father and mother stood there an angry expression wore on his face.

The man watched the girl be escorted away with not another word. That was one of the strangest things he had seen all day, but his mind just concluded that she was someone of affluence. He never gave her his name and he never got hers so the likelihood that they would meet again was low. He loved to come to these parts to just watch everyone and how they interact. Humans always fascinated him and observing their behavior interest him; it fed his scientist mind. He rounded another corner to hear people shouting money amounts.

"Sold." It seemed that he had landed on the outskirts of a slave auction. The use of slaves was common among the ports, he didn't own one himself.

"Next up, we have this strapping young boy, strong legs good for farming or work around the home. Can I get money?" A bid got shouted followed by another. The blue eyes landed on the guy who seemed to shift uncomfortably from the situation. Something seemed to tug at him until he found himself opening his mouth. The bid was once again raised and he opened his mouth again; in an instant the auction was over. He handed what money he had and was given the rope.

"Let me get rid of this." He loosened the rope trying to make it as comfortable for the boy. He didn't know what compelled him to participate, but he had a gut instinct not to let him be bought by the other two gentlemen.

"Do you have a name?"

"They call me Zay sir."

"My name is Farkle." Farkle had never owned a slave before, but he figured that he would need help with anything that he needed.

"Riley what were you thinking going outside the walls without an escort?" Her father chastised and Riley suddenly felt like she was 6 instead of 19. She didn't really see the danger of going out alone, she could handle herself and even if she couldn't it wasn't like their town was a violent one. Ever since she was little it seemed like their mission to keep her inside as much as possible while keeping an eye on her, and it was starting to suffocating the very air she breathed. There were so many rules that she had to obey, it seemed like it was never ending, and not one eve explained why. It was almost like her parents didn't want her going outdoors, they liked it less when she visited the markets and even less when she went down by the docks. All the sailors that she ever met were nice and they always had the best stories to tell of their journey on the open sea. That sounded like the life that was limitless, there were no walls around her and they could set sail till they couldn't anymore. Their stories consisted of new places, meeting other people, almost running into creatures; some claimed mermaids. Every now and then they had stories of run ins that they had with pirates, although some of those were tales, but even as they were it still sounded more excited that being told what to do every day.

"Riley, did you hear me?" Her eyes jumped up to the searching one of her fathers.

"Yes Father," She replied when it was further from the truth, but it seemed like he didn't believe her either.

"Riley this is serious, you are important to this town, you have certain responsibilities and I need you to start acting like it." Everyone on the island had a role that they needed to play including her own, but she just had this gut feeling that she couldn't explain deep down that there was something more than just the island.

"I understand father," all joy erased from her voice. His face cringed at her response not knowing what to do. He let out a sigh at his daughter, he was trying to keep her safe, didn't she realize that?

"Riley"-

"Can I go now father?" Her eyes were focused on the floor until he dismissed her. She rushed up the stairs wanting the privacy of her quarters. Her feet took her to the window, it didn't help her longing to escape by the view of the endless ocean in front of her. She was feeling drawn to like it was calling her name. She looked back towards the door in hopes that no one would walk in on her trying to escape. She wanted to be the child that her parents always wanted, but she didn't seem the harm of slipping out for a bit. She need to clear her head, it might help her clear her head to figure out what she found in the attic. She knew what people would say if they say her as she threw the linen out of the window, that this wasn't something that she should do, that it was appalling and far from lady-like behavior, but it was this pull that keep nagging at her that she couldn't shake.

The sight of the endless blues meeting at the horizon brought a calming effect to the brunette as she raced over the hill away from her home. She couldn't explain why this was her spot whenever she needed to think, it always welcomed her with the sound of crashing waves. She watched the tide come in and out almost like the water was saying goodbye to the shore only to embrace with it again.

She wished that she could be what her parents wanted, the perfect daughter that could uphold her responsibilities in the proper manner that was required of her, but it seemed like every path she took it just brought her back to feeling confined. It just felt like there was so much more that this tiny island could offer. Maybe that was why she was prone to run away before. She had to admit that did not help with the trust issues that she was facing with her parents. There was no way that Father would let her leave on a ship, it would be far too dangerous.

She neared the water's edge and took off her shoes with care feeling the sand beneath her feet. She took a deep breath and put her foot in the water letting the water fall past her feet and then return to the ocean. She pulled out the map that she had managed to keep from her parents successfully. What did it even mean, but the more important question what was it doing within the possession of the Matthew's family? There were always secrets kept within families and Riley knew that, but something like this; she would at least imagine hearing the whispers of the staff. She let out a sigh knowing that her time outside was limited, sooner or later they would send staff in after her and when they found out she would be missing only to get in trouble again. She bid goodbye to the waves and began her journey back, but not before turning back for one last glance.

"Someday," she promised before continuing the trek back up the hill, but her heart was still on the beach.

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 **A.n.- So there you have it, chapter one. I hope that you continue on with me in this story, but if it is not your cup of tea I am also posting another story in a couple of days. Let me know what you think, and don't forget to favorite and follow.**


	2. Chapter 2 Code of Conduct

**A.n.- First I got to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm completely floored at the response from you all and I'm glad you are taking this journey with me. Enjoy this chapter!**

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The sun streamed through the windows causing the young brunette to stir. She didn't want to leave the world that her dreams made up, it was a life on the sea, even when she was asleep it called her. She rolled over her body registering that she was indeed awake.

"Riley?" Her mother burst into the room followed by two hand maidens that usually tended to her needs.

"What are you still doing in bed at this hour?" Surely, she didn't sleep in half the day, but it had to be past her normal hour of waking otherwise her mother would not have behaved in the manner that she did.

"Get dressed quickly Riley we are expecting company soon." Her daughter tilted her head to the side in confusion, she was unaware of the fact, no wonder her mother came to fetch her instead of sending someone.

"Who?" Her mother went into her clothes and pulled out a powder blue dress and handed it to Vanessa to aid Riley in getting ready.

"The Gardner Family, they will join us for tea in the drawing room and they will be arriving shortly."

"Mother please tell me that this is not attempt to set me up with an acceptable suitor, is it?" At a tug from tightening the corset caused Riley to let out a small yelp, her mother didn't answer her question. Riley walked from behind the partition to hear her Mother gasp in delight.

"There is my beautiful daughter," Riley wasn't sure whether to take it as an insult or flattery.

"Join us downstairs and don't dawdle." She left the room to let Vanessa attend to Riley's hair which gotten tangled over the night.

By the time, Riley made it down the stairs, she could tell that their guests had already arrived and were simply waiting on her.

All the gentleman stood up and her eyes immediately jumped to the blank ones of Charlie who looked almost enthralled with her presence.

"Charlie, this is my daughter; Riley." Riley placed her hand in his as he stooped low while kissing her hand softly.

"You are more lovely than described." Despite the flattery, the brunette found herself unmoved by his compliment. The two separated and sat down in different areas but Riley still felt his gaze lingered on her. The adults turned and started talking among themselves giving Charlie the opportunity to try and capture the young girl's attention once again.

"What do you do to entertain yourself on the island?" Riley opened her mouth to answer him, but her mother beat her to the punch.

"Riley, why don't you show Charlie around?" It was a pointed suggestion and Riley resisted the urge to roll her eyes; of course, this would be a set up so she could get to know each other better. She didn't think that she could be subtler if she tried, but there was no arguing with her.

"Follow me Charlie."

The two walked far enough that they were out of earshot of the parents before either one seemed to relax.

"You never answered my question?" His voice sent chills down her spine, she had been so focused on other things that she had completely forgotten what the question was in the first place. Charlie took her silence for confusion and repeated himself.

"What do you do on the island for entertainment." The question brought a spark to her eyes.

"I usually go down to the market, there are so many people there and they all have stories to tell. Like I once talked with this fisherman, and he had a thousand stories to tell of his adventures and barely escaping with his life from pirates, and encountering mermaids."- Her rant continued from there as the words just spilled out from her mouth, it was like she couldn't help it. She had found the story fascinating so her mind made sure to remember the different details. Charlie just stood there listening unsure of what to do. Riley eventually read his body language enough to realize that she was boring the man so she wrapped up the tale hastily.

"Oh." The words felt so cheapened coming from his mouth, it was obvious that he wasn't expecting something like that to come out of her mouth. Things quickly deteriorated between the two as Riley's walls started to build up. With the single word, he made her feel like her hobbies were childish and not worth his time.

"Want to see something? Just around the bend there is this rock cliff and you can walk out among the waves." When his noise twitched, it wasn't a positive sign.

"We aren't supposed to leave the grounds." Riley's lips dipped into a smile, she had gone out there plenty of times. She knew that she was supposed to be entertaining the guest, but she would be almost anywhere else at the moment.

"Suit yourself," She started to take off her shoes which caused his face to scrunch together.

"What are you doing?" She didn't dignify him with a response except to start to stroll in the direction of the sea.

"Riley." At the mention of her name she picked up pace and burst forth into a run so that she would purposely lose him. She knew she would hear it later from her parents, but at the moment she didn't really care what they would say, she just felt like she needed the salty air. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep her body relaxing to the sounds of the was

"What were you thinking?" Riley winced at the harshness attached to the words. So, she wasn't the best host to Charlie, but he was grown surely, he could entertain himself. She had offered for him to come with her down to the water, it was his choice to decline, but that didn't seem to matter to her father.

"Riley, do you get that every choice you make have consequences? Charlie was an honored guest and you left him to go gallivanting off to who knows where?

"Father"- She didn't know what she could say something to fix this, but she had to try.

"From now on you will have more protection, you have an obligation to everyone here and you can't just ignore that to run off. You are to remain here escaping beyond these walls is forbidden."

"Father that's not fair"- He couldn't take away her little paradise of the ocean.

"I don't care," his voice billowed.

"You don't understand." It felt like a little piece of her was dying inside.

"I don't need to understand, I need to protect you. You will stay here until you realize your place."

"But Father"-

"Go to your room." Her father never talked to her like that as if she was a child who didn't know any better. She strayed from her original course and headed to the hall of records. If nothing else she was now more determined than ever for some answers, and if her parents wouldn't give them, then she must gain knowledge from elsewhere. Her feet wandered down the hallways she knew all too well until they took her to the record hall.

In the library, there were books upon books and the thought of sorting through each one was such a daunting task. She reached for a couple and set them on the table that looked promising. The dust filled the air of the unkempt books sending her into a coughing fit. It seemed like the library hadn't been used in a while.

The book in question was a record of the family's history. The minutes passed and as her eyes scanned each page but with everyone her search turned up empty; after the fourth book frustration built up with in her. None of these books even alluded to any male that she saw in the painting, one was promising but some pages were ripped out. She went to reach out for another book on the shelf, but her clumsiness caused another book to drop to the floor. It wasn't until she bent down to pick it up that she noticed a piece of paper that looked like it was ripped out that didn't belong. She retreated to the chair because she wasn't sure if her legs could stand at that moment. Her eyes scanned the page once and then once moreover, the pages detailed the Matthew's family and the birth of their son; Joshua Matthew. It went into detail of his life until about eight year and then all mentions him disappeared.

It just brought more questions than answers, she tucked away the papers away and returned the books to how they were before.

Riley took the long way back to her room, she needed to give herself some time to think about the new information that she just learned. She had a brother, but something happened to him when she was 3 years old. It would have been easy to erase him from her life at such a young age, so it just left the question of why. The blue eyes that she saw in the painting still haunted her mind when she closed her eyes. It would be easier if she could forget the whole thing and what she saw, but she couldn't let this go.

Her pace slowed when she heard some voices talking, she instantly recognized it as her parent's voices and her curiosity was perked.

"What are we going to do Cory?" The voice clearly belonged to her Mother and it was laced with concern. Why did they were going to do about what?

"I don't know," he paused building the silence between them. "I had to personally apologize to Charlie and his farther for Riley's unlady-like behavior." Charlie? Her mom had stressed the importance of making a good impression, but she told her that all the time.

"They didn't take back their offer, did they?" Riley's eyebrows knitted together. What offer? Charlie hadn't mentioned anything about an offer the time that he was with her. In fact, Charlie, hadn't said much of anything, he had more of a stiff disposition despite his efforts to be charming.

"No, they still will accept Riley's hand in marriage." The brunette's eyes widened in shock at her Father's mention. This was the first she ever heard of this, when were they planning on telling her that they had picked her betrothed. Her mind swirled as she felt herself grow light headed.

Riley couldn't feel herself breathe as she ran to her room. She grabbed a sack and grabbed a couple of dresses and some money she had hidden away over the years. Being told what to do, and who to be, and now who to marry was the last straw. It was almost as if the walls were closing in. Charlie was sure a charming fellow but her mind could not imagine a life with the man. He wouldn't allow her to be herself, it would just insure a life of being told what to do.

"Running away I see." The voice made her spin almost so fast she almost tripped. Standing in the doorway was an elderly woman that she knew fondly as her mother's mother or her grandmother.

"Grandmother I"- She was caught speechless knowing that one word from her and she would be surrounded by guards as a daily routine making it much harder to get away. The elderly women held up her hands stopping any excuses on Riley's tongue in an instant.

"You don't have to explain, my dear. You are my daughter's daughter, believe it or not, my daughter had the same wild restless spirit that resides in you." The younger girl's eyes widened, she had never really heard stories of when her mom was a child, maybe that was because they didn't want to encourage her further in her rebellious ways.

"I never knew"- Her voice faded. How could she not know this about her mother, it was like she didn't know her at all.

"I just- I can't stay here, even if I didn't find out about Josh"-

"I see you learned our secret." Riley stepped forward towards her grandmother.

"I can't marry Charlie, I"-

"Then go." Her words caught Riley off guard, was she saying what she thought she was saying?

"What?"

"Riley, you have the stubbornness that your mother bore, so if you need to go then nothing anyone can say will stop you. That voice that calls you away is who you are, so go, find Josh." Riley's heart skipped faster at the mention of the boy's name.

"Do you think that he's alive?" She placed her hands on either side of her granddaughter.

"He had the same spirit that is in you, so I can only hope." Riley nodded and grabbed her bag.

"I'll distract the guards, you can escape on the north side." Riley threw the sheets out the window, she couldn't believe that she was helping her escape. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she took off running without looking back.

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 **A.N.- Riley runs away, but that shouldn't be a surprise to you all. Things really start picking up in a couple chapters so stay with me. Let me know what you think!Till next time.**


	3. Chapter 3 Navigating Passage

**A.n.- Hey guys, first off I want to say you are so amazing! I am blown away by the support and want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. So I'm posting early and here's why. I'm not going to post again till January. I figured with the holidays you guys should spend time with family and friends. I will be back in with more chapters and hope that you will continue with me into 2017 despite the unknown fate of Girl Meets World.**

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Riley welcomed the sun signaling the new day, she was so excited at the prospect of leaving that she didn't calculate where she would spend the night hours. The result was that she barely got any sleep, and when she did it was being tucked away in a corner. It was the sound of a rooster that woke her and suddenly she was missing her bed. But that didn't deter her from the prospect of running away. She wouldn't be guaranteed a comfy bed on a boat either; she reminded herself.

She dusted off her dress the best that she could and headed into the marketplace just as they were setting up from the day. She adjusted the hood to help conceal her identity from any guards that might roam through the marketplace.

She bought herself some fruit to keep her stomach from growling as she started to make her way through the crowd. She took her time at each vendor looking at what they all had to offer. The next thing she knew the sun was high in the sky letting everyone below be aware that the day was half over. She needed to figure out where she was going to slumber that night, maybe she would visit the local inns and find one to sleep in for the night, because she was not willing to sleep in the alley one more night.  
She fully intended to go because the shelter was necessary, but something caught her eyes at one of the booths that she seemed to have missed prior. She wandered over to the booth her eyes taking in everything.

"I see you escaped the guards again my friend, are we going to frequent often in the marketplace?" Riley shoved the contents of the map in her satchel quickly trying not to draw attention to her find. She looked over to see the same piercing blue eyes as the other day. His lips jumped up into a floppy boyish grin as the blush started to spread on her cheeks.

"I suppose so, but if we are to be friends I need to know your name," she answered back coyly. Riley didn't think that she would ever see her mysterious friend again, but was thankful that fate reintroduced them.

"Farkle," He held out his hand with confidence despite the funny name.

"Riley," She replied shaking his hand. At that moment, Riley spotted a couple guards in the distance and tried to duck behind Farkle's figure. The sound of a hearty chuckle escaped his lips at her actions.

"If you need to escape from people, I know a place." Even though Riley had known him for all of 10 minutes she still chose to nod her head as he began to duck between the crowd leading her away from the direction of the guards.

As they walked into the Tavern, it was like a whole new world. Her parents would never let her frequent an establishment like this, but that very fact caused her stomach to twist in knots. There were men everywhere she looked talking or ravishing ladies in some form. The sight did not re-enforce her to stay, until she heard her stomach growl desperate for something more sustainable. She followed Farkle to the counter as he placed an order from himself and then she did the same; although she was sure that the bar tender gave her a weird look catching that she didn't belong in a place like this. The two made their way over to the table that just cleared up; Farkle was the first to break the silence between them.

"So, might I inquire on why we were running from the guards earlier?" Riley was thankful for the low lighting because that meant that the blush on her cheeks was less noticeable, she had hoped that the hadn't seen the guards but she supposed that they were kind of hard to miss among everyone else.

"That's not important," Riley tried to brush off the subject, but that only made Farkle more persistent.

"Well I guess if it's not important I could go invite them to join us," He stood up, but before he could go anywhere the brunette reached out and grabbed is arm preventing him.

"I frequent the Governor's home often." She replied softly as he sat back down not wanting the word to spread that she was there.

"You're not'- He stopped himself as he got a good look at her, the longer he looked the more he tilted his head.

"And why would you want to run away?" Riley's mouth opened to protest, but one look from the man made her close reconsidering her answer.

"I feel trapped there, people telling you what to do, how to behave, it gets tiresome." She was shocked to see him roll his eyes at her.

"It must be so hard for you to wait on nothing in your life."

"It's not like that," she paused wondering how exactly she could explain how she felt to someone who have never experienced it.

"It's like you are never able to breathe and the secrets that everyone keeps from me." He leaned forward clearly interested.

"I think I had a brother, and something happened to him." Her eyes fell to the table, she hadn't meant to bring up the topic.

"What's your story?" She suddenly became more eager to get the focus from herself.

"Philosopher, scientist, wanderer, I observe the world around me and make my own decisions based on it. In fact, I was asked to travel to another island to observe an animal species so we can further determine more about it." Riley had never meet anyone like Farkle, he could travel anywhere that he wished. There were no restrictions, no expectations of him, just a world that he could explore.

"And you plan on traveling to your destination?" He let out a small laugh at the silliness of her question.

"By boat, we are leaving tomorrow morning." Hope had reentered her system? Passage on a boat, that is exactly what she needed.

"Where's the captain?" She needed passage and if she could just convince him then her plan to run away was starting in motion.

"Word is that his crew favor this tavern when they are in this port."

"Show me," it hadn't meant to be an order, but soon the food in front of her was forgotten as a new determination was born, but when she saw the captain, she stopped in her tracks.

The second that she saw the captain all the new-found confidence fled her system. The man that was in front of her at the table was a dark haired middle aged man with piercing gray eyes. She felt herself gasp as her legs suddenly became paralyzed. There were so many things that could go wrong on the ship, and if she got caught this time who knows what her Father would do.

"Maybe this isn't the best idea." Farkle flashed a confused look at her rapid change in mood.

"Isn't this what you want?" She opened her mouth to answer and then hesitated. This is what she wanted, not a life of someone always telling her what to do or who to be.

"Of course," she replied.

"Then go and take it." Without warning she was pushed in the direction of the captain, the table caught her fall but suddenly she had three set of eyes on her. The man had a scraggly beard that covered well of three fourths of his face. He was paired with two others, one was a Spaniard with a set of dark curls pulled back and a set of deep chocolate eyes. The third was a blonde haired blue eyed man that caused her to get goosebumps. She didn't know why, she just had a bad feeling about him that she couldn't describe.

"Whatever you are looking to sell, my men and I are not interested." He dismissed her. When she realized what exactly he was implying, red covered her cheeks. They didn't know who she was otherwise they would not have made that remark.

"That's- that's not why I'm here." Her reply caught their attention; he motioned for her to continue. Riley looked back at Farkle and gained the courage that she needed.

"I wish for passage on your ship."

"No," The captain slammed down his drink down on the table surprising Riley. He used the back of his hand to swipe any remaining liquid from his grizzly beard.

"But Sir"- Riley tried to protest. She knew that the sea was the way to travel, upon previous escape attempts when she used the road it was too easy to track her and she couldn't put that much distance between her and her parents.

"Women are bad luck on a ship." The couple of men behind him chuckled lowly at the prospect. The answer didn't deter the girl. This was the one of the only leads that she had out of the city.

"But I have money for passage, and I only need to go to Saint Lucia." The town was only three ports away, Riley figured that it was enough to give her a head start, because knowing her father he would send out a search party for her.

"What good is the money if my crew is distracted and we don't make it to the destination?" The Captain took another swig and stood up; Riley knew that if she didn't do anything soon that she would be without a ship.

"What if I can make it worth your time?" The words froze him in place as all eyes were on him on the move that he was going to make.

"Continue." She panicked for a second because she wasn't exactly sure what she was going to offer the man. She closed her eyes for a brief second and found her voice in a moment of courage.

"I-I'll double the fare." That would deplete a fair share of her money, but she would figure out a way to earn it back somehow.

"Triple." He barked back. The fact that he had even considered her offer meant that there was some hope for negotiation. She internally cringed at the thought of giving up that much money. There was a gut feeling that she had to stand her ground, and it hadn't led her astray so far.

"Double." She stood up to add extra dramatic effect so her small frame was looming over his. There was a small pause as he looked like he was thinking it over. He stood up and let out a laugh.

"You've got spunk kid." He chugged the last of the drink slammed the mug down.

"We leave at dawn." He didn't seem as intimidating when he was in a good mood. He motioned that it was time to leave to his men and Riley was sitting in shock at the table. She had done it, she was going to board a boat and set sail away from here. She only hoped that once they were off she would find the thing that seemed to make her soul long for more.

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 **A.N.- So sorry it's more of a filler chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. I will see you all in the new year!**


	4. Chapter 4 Adapting to Sea Legs

**A.N.- Happy New Year! I'm glad you all are following me into the new year. I'm excited for what is to come. This is just a filler chapter, but it is good all the same.**

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The pure excitement woke Riley up earlier than she anticipated in the morning. She couldn't believe that she had gotten away with running. Her father probably sent out men looking for her by now, which just increased the risk. She paid for her room downstairs gathered her things and used the remaining cover of the night to sneak in the direction of the boat. She found that the harbor was full of people preparing their ships, including her future home for the next couple weeks. It was at this point that she was glad that she brought her plain dresses not to stand out in the crowd. She rounded the corner only to see the area crowded with guards looking for her, she reversed with just as much force. They were at different vessels talking to the captain, including her own. Fear struck her system and she didn't know what to do, he might not know who she was but if they talk to the guards, they might be able to figure it out. She found herself at a cross road, if she didn't go then they would leave her, but if she did then it would increase changes of being caught.

Thankfully for Mrs. Matthews, she didn't have to decide because the men left her leaving it wide open. She waited till she was sure it was clear and then made haste not to get caught before the journey had begun. Before she reached her destination, she watched as Farkle walked up to the captain and they started to talk. She hesitated for a second, she didn't know that much about Farkle, he seemed trustworthy, but if he said the slightest information about her could give away her position. Her nerves riled up as she neared the ship and captured both sets of eyes from Farkle and the Captain.

"There you are sister," Farkle emphasized the last word to clue her in. A small smile graced Riley's lips as she figured out what exactly the captain was talking to her new-found friend had said.

"I told you to show up right at dawn, you know how important this trip was to me." Their dynamic played well as they could pick up on subtle cues.

"Sorry it won't happen again," she replied apologetically casting her eyes to the ground. Farkle picked up her suitcase and the two of them strolled aboard the ship.

"Why did you do that?" Riley asked when they were out of earshot, he had the perfect opportunity her father was probably offering a tempting reward. Farkle shrugged in response to her question and smiled.

"You want to run away and if they knew the truth then you would never get to see it." Riley knew right then and there that this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. He stuck his neck out for her even when he didn't need to. They made their way below deck and stored their bags wherever space they could find.

"And who are you?" She asked seeing Farkle's companion come up behind her carrying Farkle's bags. Vanessa's face flashed in her mind bringing warm memories, she would miss her when she was away and hoped that she didn't get in too much trouble.

"Zay." He responded shortly, not used to being asked questions.

"Nice to meet you." She responded. She headed above deck just to enjoy the salt of the air. Before she knew it, the ship was sailing on the open waters. Farkle joined her by the railing.

"What now?" He asked with a smiled which she happily returned.

"An adventure."

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It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky before her stomach started to rumble signifying need of substance. She walked around the deck once more the excitement starting to wear off of life on the water. It was calmer than she anticipated, besides getting used to the ship cutting through the water there wasn't much to do to entertain herself. She strolled below making sure to stay out of everyone's way as she initially promised. It wasn't long before her feet followed her nose and wandered into the kitchen area. There was no one in sight she reached for an apple that lay at the top of a barrel and raised it to her lips.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A man came around the corner with dark brown curls that was pulled back.

"You could lose a hand for that." Not knowing whether he was serious or not lead to the brunette putting back the fruit despite her stomach. A sheepish smile spread on her thin lips feeling guilty that she was caught.

"It's my first time on a ship," she didn't know why she confessed that, but it was now out in the open.

"Are you finding what you are looking for?" Riley's head tilted slight not sure of how he could manage to see through her.

"I'm not sure yet." She replied. It wasn't often that she could afford to be this honest with even herself.

"Well I hope you find what you're looking for"-

"Riley." He shared a small smile the tough exterior waning.

"Thank you -" She paused waiting to hear his name.

"Tony, and everyone eats in an hour when we hit the next port." Riley turned her body with full intentions to leave the kitchen when he called out her name. She turned back to get something lobbed her way. Her chocolate eyes lingered down to reassure her mind that he had in fact that he had given her an apple.

"I didn't see a thing." He winked before returning to preparing some food.

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Watching the waves crash against the ship was not quite the same as watching it meet the shore, so Riley let her mind wander to everything that she would let it. It mostly revolved around Josh and what other secrets that her family might have had. All this time and no one told her, what had happened to him that was too terrible to mention? The most important question was being he still alive. She hadn't thought about the reality of that question, and if he was then how would she go about finding him. It was a bit of a stretch to believe that he was still alive but there was still a small glimmer of hope.

"Find a way to entertain yourself?" Farkle's voice almost made her jump outside of her skin. She turned her head in his direction and gave a soft smile. It was because of him that she wasn't caught and could come on this journey in the first place.

"I've managed," A wry smile grew. "It's not as exciting as I initially thought especially with all the stories I've heard."

"Like what, pirates, mermaids and sea creatures." He teased. It sounded silly coming from him, he seemed like a man of logic to which all those things went against.

"I prefer the stories I've heard compared to waiting around for something to happen." She had a seed of doubt that running away was the best move to run away, but this was just the first lull in the journey. She didn't believe that all the stories she heard were made up, there had to be at least some truth to them.

"There's two side to every tale, sitting around all day on a ship isn't much of story."

"What's the other side of your story?" It was a bold question, especially since they didn't know each other that well, but he had already saved her once that day so she couldn't help but wonder. Farkle opened his mouth to answer but he was cut off by a yelling crew mate.

"Land ho." Her heart rate quickened and it was a reminder to what drove her to the see in the first place. She raced to the front of the sea to get a better view to which Farkle followed.

Riley felt at ease as Trevor, the deckhand who had showed her how to tie knots in her hours of boredom, called directions to steer into the port. They had made great time in the water or everything was unfolding faster than she imagined. Her eyes jumping from crew members throwing rope, adjusting the sails, and barking orders to each other. She had never been on a ship to her memory, but she also didn't know she had a brother either.

"Isn't this exciting?" Riley couldn't wipe the smile as she leaned away from her new-found friend. The excitement was flowing out of her body, anyone could see it.

"I guess."

As soon as the ship was secure Riley grabbed Farkle's arm and pulled him off the ship before he could say another word on the matter. One of the first things she did was breathe in a big breath of air. The environment around her just felt different, better than the air on her island. She felt free, it was finally sinking in that she could get away with running away. Everyone seemed in a hurry the second her feet hit the dock. She dared to say that this market seemed even more alive than her own. She was glad that Farkle had agreed to explore the city with her, despite her pride she was a little bit more intimidated than she would admit.

"Any ideas of where you want to explore first?" Her answer was in the form of her growling stomach and she let out a sheepish smile.

"I thought the sailors mentioned a good tavern by the name of New Providence." All of this was new to Riley but she was willing to overlook her questions to feed herself. Luckily the tavern was near the port because the brunette was convinced that if they had to go scouting through the town they wouldn't be able to find it.

"Please tell me that you're not going to New Providence." The voice caught them off guard. Riley's chocolate eyes scanned the crowd until she found the owner. He was leaning lazily on a building across from the entrance. His blonde hair reminded her of the sand that met the ocean every day. He was well built, he could take care of himself if the need were to arise. His facial features were prominent including a ridged jaw and ruggedly handsome face. Riley shrugged off any thoughts that drifted into her mind, if she allowed them to dwell it would only distract her. The thoughts dissipated when their eyes connected, Riley let out a small gasp.

His emerald eyes drew her in and made her forget just for a second the reason for escaping.

It wasn't until Farkle shook her arm bringing her back to reality just to see his lips smudge up into a smirk while Riley crossed her arms in defense.

"And why is that?" It was suspicious that he was just waiting outside the tavern, but maybe that was just a ghost of her paranoia lingering.

"Because they charge more than some places and they don't even have the best food." Her guard was still up, but if that was indeed true then it wouldn't make sense not to go inside.

"And I'm sure you know of somewhere better?" His lips twisted up in a smile she could only describe as mischievous.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Well I surely can't run off with someone without knowing their name."

"Lucas." He held his hand out to her.

"Riley," she replied placing her hand in his. He lowered his lips to meet her hand and it sent a tingling sensation across her body.

"Do you trust me?" There was no logical reason why she should trust the total stranger, but his emerald eyes drew her in further.

"Yes," the words fell out of her mouth.

"Follow me." He grabbed her hand and the three of them maneuvered through the surrounding crowd to the destination.

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 **A.N.- Rucas ahead. Like I said it made a decent filler chapter, next chapter you;ll find out a little more about everyone. Let me know what you think! If I get ahead early I'll post before next week.**


	5. Chapter 5 Acquisition Allies

**A.N.- So here is the next chapter. Can I say that I am blown away by you all. You are the best ever. I hope you enjoy this! Make sure to read the an at the bottom.**

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After a couple minutes of weaving through the crowd Riley had to wonder where exactly Lucas was taking her. Their journey ended in front of a smaller pub with no much traffic traveling in and out. Riley threw an incredulous look, for all she knew he was the owner of the pub looking to increase foot traffic and they were played.

"It might not look like much but it is the best food and ale in town." Lucas didn't say any more and headed inside, and after a couple seconds Riley and Farkle followed him inside.

The place was lit by candles everywhere and small round tables and brought a cozy atmosphere for a tavern. There was less people in the establishment than the one she visited back at her home. She cast her gaze towards the stranger wonder how much he was just pulling them along, or if the food provided here was better than the other tavern. Lucas pulled out the bench and gave her a helping hand to maneuver to take a seat. One thing that Riley could say about the place was that it was much calmer than the others. Farkle had taken the seat beside her while Lucas was in a position in which she could stare into his eyes more often. There was a light music being played by a beautiful girl in the background to encourage Sailors to increase their time that they spent there.

"Wait here, I'll grab the food." In what seemed like a blink of an eye he was gone leaving Farkle and Riley alone. They only had a limited amount of time together so she needed to act quickly.

"Are we sure this is the right thing." It had seemed that Farkle had fallen under the spell of a passing bar maiden. Riley jerked his arm to get him to snap back to reality.

"Pardon?"

"I asked are we sure that we can trust this guy?"

"Have a given you a reason not to trust me?" Riley's mouth grew dry as Lucas slipped back to his bench with some food. She hadn't expected to him standing behind her overhearing everything that she was saying.

"The answer is no, so that should answer your question," he finished before she could get a word in. Riley cross her arms over her chest starting to build a wall between her and the stranger. If he was one thing it was full of himself, there were some things that good looks couldn't make up for.

He handed her a plate with some bread, cheese and a turkey leg as part of a peace offering. Riley stilled eyed it warily before taking a bite of the food. The turkey was moist and it was better than anything she had tasted since she had run away, but she didn't want to give away to Lucas. But when her eyes looked up she saw the pair of emerald eyes staring at her with his lips tucked up in a smile and he held her gaze.

"So Farkle, what's your story?" His gaze shifted leaving Riley feeling almost bare, she's never experienced feelings like this before.

"I'm a scientist, I'm going to Nevis to study the animals there." Lucas kept asking questions, but Riley had zoned out to the conversation focusing more on the food in front of her. Maybe she didn't realize how hungry she was, whatever the reason she was jumped back to reality when both sets of eyes were on her.

"And what about you?" His eyes seemed to almost sparkle and if she were standing her knees might be weak.

"There's not much to say about me," she lied with ease. "I am like a free spirit going from town to town, wherever the wind blows."

"Could I join you?" His question caught the both of them off guard.

"W-what?"

"You've inspired me." He replied after a minute trying to find the right words to say. "I would only go a few towns further, I would give anything for a fresh start." Riley bit her lip, she could empathize with his reasoning, that was what part of the reason she had to run away in the first place; to live a life of her own.

"You would have to take it up with the captain." If it was up to her, he would go. Her mind could only imagine the things that he had gone through.

"Shall we go?" Farkle and Riley exchanged looks before taking a drink preparing to head back to the boat.

Riley had not taken her eyes off the sight of Lucas talking with the captain, she didn't have a reason to be nervous, it wasn't like this affected her attitude towards continuing to travel. Have Lucas on board would make the days at sea more enjoyable, she told herself.

"You don't have to stare so hard, he's not going anywhere," Farkle leaned over and said casting her out of the trance she was in.

"What?"

"Funny, you have the same face that I did earlier at the Tavern." There was nothing that could stop the blush from appearing on her cheeks.

"I don't have feelings for him if that is what you're implying." Farkle shook his head as a chuckle escaped his lips in amusement.

"I didn't say that you did." Before Riley could respond Lucas was walking back in their direction.

"Well?" Farkle asked eager to know how entertained he would be watching the two of them interact on the ship.

"We set sail tomorrow." He grinned from ear to ear.

"Tomorrow?" Riley parroted, this was news to her. It would add a certain layer of risk to her plan, but if she stayed low and not draw attention to herself, she was sure that she would be fine.

"Yeah something about it being bad luck to sail on Fridays." Farkle's mind started to work and he had a plan with the remaining time before their ship departed.

"I think I going to retire back to the ship, I need to bring back the food to Zay." This would give the two of them to spend more time to interact. In fact, it was almost like that since the two of them met, he was just in the background from all the times that he had caught Lucas looking at the brunette. There might be some between the two.

"Farkle, what are you doing?" Riley hissed, trying to say anything to convince him to stay so she wouldn't be alone with Lucas.

"Go live your life." He nudged her arm only to nod at Lucas in the least subtle way possible before turning his back and walking away.

Riley's brows furrowed as she watched her safe guard walk back to the boat, but then again, she had spent the afternoon with guy and nothing bad had befallen her. If it was going to happen, it was bound to by now. She didn't want her time with the handsome stranger to end, but she also didn't want to burden him.

"Want to explore the marketplace?" He asked. Happiness and excitement lit up her eyes as she turned her focus to him.

"Really?" He simply shrugged in response and the brunette tried to keep the blush from become too apparent on her cheeks. He leaned in close enough to make the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter.

"It is a great way to past the time after all." Maybe spending the day with him was more dangerous than she realized. Surely, he must have realized what kind of an affect he was having upon her; she needed to figure out a way to regain control or at least fake it. As soon as he removed himself from her proximity all the power was taken away and she could think properly.

"Right." She managed to get out as confidently as her body would allow, he just smirked in response.

"Where do you want to go first?" Her chocolate eyes jumped from booth to booth trying to find the spot that would be the easiest to make him squirm. One with all clothes caught her eyes and she pointed.

"There." She studied his face as his smile faltered slightly before regaining his composure.

"Anything you want, princess." He drew out the last word lazily, and that paired with how intensely he was looking at her made her knees grow weak. The word princess sent a shiver over her skin, but she hid it well; there was no way he could possibly know where she came from. If she was sure about one thing, this afternoon would be interesting.

Farkle didn't know why he was concerned about winning Zay's approval, but as he neared the boat he found himself getting nervous. Zay wasn't allowed to join them in their marketplace, mostly for his own safety, but being confined to the ship; he would know since they were trapped on the boat for the last day. Farkle figured it was the least he could do to bring him back food; he wasn't an animal after all. Things had been a little bumpy between the two of them since the exchange. It was expected because it there needed to be time to adjust; the process was going slower than he hoped. Maybe the disappointment was because Farkle felt he had treated him more as an equal and a coworker than a servant. Zay had helped him with experiments that he was conducting from time to time, and there was glimmer of friendships between them.  
As soon as he walked through the door Zay's eyes jumped up to meet his and the silence in the air became more obvious.

"I brought you some food." There was no rule that dictated that he had to bring him food, if anything Zay could survive with the food that is on the boat. The genius just thought that it would be a good way to start breaking the tension between them.

"Thanks," mumbled Zay as he took the food and quietly started to stuff his face. Farkle was going to take the opportunity to start asking questions and learn more about him, but now Zay seemed more concentrated on filling his belly. His feet retreated a couple steps wanting to give him the privacy so he could finish eating. He would just try again at a later day to try and get closer to Zay.

One thing that surprised the brunette is how fast the day seemed to go by when she was spending the day with the blonde. There were moments in which there were secret glances and jokes exchanged, but she had managed to calm her nerves from earlier. They have traveled to more booths that she could remember and concluded that she wanted to travel more. Even with the short distance between the two islands they had stuff to offer than her hometown. This port seemed to specialized shell jewelry and it fascinated her. The people here were so talented with what they could do with their hands. One featured part of the white shell on the front and on the back had various shades of blue. Her face must have given away the wanting, because the vendor leaned forward.

"Such a pretty necklace for a pretty girl, don't you think Mister." He was trying to make the sale, but the words mortified Riley. She looked directly over to Lucas who looked slightly off guard. She was about to spill that they weren't together in any scene, but Lucas had already pulled out some money to pay for the necklace. He clasped the necklace around her neck, his touch set small fires within her, and she wondered how someone she just met made her feel this way.

"Thank you, you didn't have to." Her behavior more reserved simply because she was still in shock.

"I couldn't argue with the man." A blush appeared and she tore her gaze away, in which by doing so something caught her eye at another booth. Her feet hurried not caring about the stranger for a second. It was a store that was filled with maps and books that lined the walls. The store keeper offered her a warm greeting as the both entered his establishment. There was something that caught her eye, maybe it was the map out front halfway resembled the map that still was burning a hole in her satchel. Her eyes could help but scan the maps that were laid out across the counter, but none of them was what she was searching for. It wasn't until her eyes traced up the walls before she saw it. It was framed on the wall, one could tell was supposed be for decoration. She spent countless hours studying over the map on the ship, and she had a gut feeling that this was the map's other half.

"How much is this," She surprised the shop keeper with the urgency in her voice.

"Well I wasn't"-

"Sorry my friend is into maps, and this would be perfect for him." It was a white lie, it wouldn't hurt anyone to not to know that the map was for her. After a couple minutes of negotiation, Riley successfully walked out the map in her hand and a smile on her face. It wasn't until she turned to Lucas with a smirk plastered on his face that she started to question herself.

"A friend?" He asked disbelief present in his voice.

"I got the map, didn't I?" She brushed past him walking in the direction of another store hoping that the whole thing would be dropped.

"You didn't answer my question." He teased back, but Riley had tuned him out in favor of something else her ears picked up.

It wasn't long till she started to feel self-conscious over other's stares; she knew that they weren't looking at the two of them. She had to admit that Lucas was devilishly good looking, but a small blush spread when she could just imagine the gossip of the nature of our relationship. They walked to the next booth side by side when Riley's hearing perked up after she heard her name.

"Did you hear about the Matthews, it's such a shame. Now they've lost both their children." The heart inside her fluttered at the words, partly because she was torn. She knew that she should stay out of it, if she put herself in the middle of it then she could give up her position; but she almost couldn't help it.

"What happened to them?" She figured if she played dumb she could get her information and not give her away.

"You don't know?" They replied in surprise.

"Rumors is that there was a time that the Matthews family traveled out on the sea all the time, it was one of their favorite pastimes." This was one of the first times that she heard about her father like this, that sounded like something he would never do.

"But the poor man, one day while his son was at a market and he lost sight of him for one moment and he never saw him again. Rumor was that it was pirates who took him. After so much time of searching for him, they just assumed that he was killed. And now word is out that his daughter has also disappeared." This would explain why he was so protective of her and the locations she was allowed to go.

"How sad." Was all she could say without breaking down. This news brought back the happy memories that the family had.

"You know, you kind of remind me of her." His voice drifted off as he started studying her features.

"I get that a lot." She quickly dismissed herself from the group with Lucas close behind.

"Is something wrong?" His voice brought her a small comfort. Her chocolate eyes glanced back to the crowd that she just dismissed herself from.

"No, I suppose not." She didn't feel comfortable enough to share the whole story with him. There was no way that he could imagine that amount of torn emotions that she was dealing with. What she did know was that she had a decision to make, and she had to make it soon.

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 **A.N.- So here's the slightly bad news. I might not be updating next week. Life is so crazy, but if I still manage to stay ahead I'll update. I just wanted to let you all know. Please let me know what you think. Till next time.**


	6. Chapter 6 Commandeering a Ship

**A.N.- So I decided that I was far enough along that I could update a couple days early. Thank you all for all the support that you all have provided, I am floored with every chapter. White houses will probably be updated on Tuesday or Wednesday. I will leave you to the chapter.**

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Riley was once glad for the cover of night as she slipped out of her bed. Her chocolate eyes slipped around the room making sure that she didn't disturb anyone; if she did then it would lay waste to all her plans. It was dreams that plagued her and caused her guilt to grow at an uncontrollable amount till she couldn't stand it. If she left now, then she would be able to find a someway back to her home. She grabbed everything in sight that had belonged to her and made her way above deck. Theory stated that it would cheaper for her to book passage here then if she took this ship to her initial destination and then turned around. Surely her parents would forgive her behavior and things would start with a clean slate. This adventure was an experiment that would stay with her memories, with the people she met and the things she saw. Her need to return did not diminish any questions the brunette had. Where did the map lead, and where was her brother now or was he even alive? So much time had pasted that it didn't seem likely that her brother had survived the kidnapping.

"Nice night out." The voice caused her to jump and spin around at the intruder of her peace and quiet. The moonlight basked over Lucas's figure as the light highlighted certain areas of his face and clothes. Riley didn't know how one person's presence could make her feel so unsure of everything.

"I couldn't sleep, I was just going to take a walk and clear my head." One eyebrow lifted with a mark of skepticism.

"With all your belongings?" He had caught her in the lie, and Riley was glad that the darkness was hiding the red color on her cheeks.

"I didn't want to leave them unprotected," she couldn't tell him the real reason that she was bringing her belongings, but a little voice inside her said that he didn't believe her anyway.

"Well I would love to accompany you." This wasn't the first time that he had caught her off guarded, but she still stood there and it was her turn to make a move.

"I wouldn't want to impose." If he came with her then she would have to figure out a way to ditch him in the square.

"No imposition at all Princess, what kind of gentleman would I be if I allowed a lady to wander off in the night with all of her possessions with no protection, who knows what would happen to you under the cover of darkness?" Riley hated that he called her Princess, but every time she went to correct him, she suddenly lost her nerve. He had enough of a point that she couldn't argue with him without looking suspicious and didn't stop him as he picked up her luggage.

Riley and Lucas walk, they almost kiss then Riley heads back to the boat.  
"So, any family missing you?" He questioned filling the silence of between them as them walked. Riley's muscles tightened but she managed to compose a at ease composure.  
"A mother, father, and a brother," her face it away at the mention of Josh. She recovered quickly but Lucas had already seen.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's just that I haven't seen my brother in a while and I miss him." Her vague answer was enough to provide comfort without giving away the secret.

"Is that what fueled your need to get away?" Riley stopped in her tracks as she pondered over his question.

"I suppose so." The silenced between the two once more this time a little bit more comfortable as her eyes drifted up to the sky. "I've had dreams about mapping the stars," She giggled "I suppose it would take me a lifetime."

"It doesn't sound like such a bad life." Her eyes seemed to glow at all the stars splashed across the night sky.

"I've tracked the stars in my spare time, but that one is my favorite." She pointed and at first, he didn't know where to look.

"There?" He pointed in the right direction, but at the wrong star.

"No, there." She adjusted her hand to the right spot.

"It's called Apus which means bird of paradise," she turned to tell him the rest of the story but stopped when she realized how close they were. Their eyes locked and their breaths started to mingle. She watched his eyes fall to her lips only to return to her chocolate eyes. Her eyes fluttered closed being drawn in to him.

"Let's get back to the ship, it's getting cold out here." Her eyes shot open to see Lucas walking back to the ship with all of her luggage." She didn't know what happened, but she squandered all her time trying to find another boat with spending time with Lucas. And now he was walking back to the ship with all her the belongings. Now she was left with no choice, she would simply have go to the next port and arrange passage home.

Riley felt her emotions being mixed as the day continued. Since they got back to the boat, Lucas had barely even looked at her let alone acknowledged her presence and she was starting to wonder if she did something wrong. The situation provided an opportunity and she was sure that they would kiss. Maybe it was her, he was so handsome he was sure to have a preference to the type of women he kept in his company.

Despite the questions wandering through her head she went about doing small things to keep herself entertained and eventually made her way into the kitchen to help Tony out with the meal. Every now and then he would look the other way so she could nibble on something small to appease her grumbling stomach. Today was no different. She would miss her talks with Tony, just like Farkle he saw the world a different way and had the ability to read people well; a human observer; he would call himself.

Riley was in the kitchen helping Tony peel the potatoes for the dinner that would be prepared of the crew. They were talking about their view on people and how they saw the world when a fellow sailor burst through the doors startling them both.

"We have a challenge, it's that new kid," and just as quickly as he came he went leaving the two alone. Tony nodded towards the door.

"Trust me, you'll want to see this." Riley dropped the knife that was in her hand, the potatoes forgotten as she followed her friend towards the rallying noise on the main deck.

The crowd was drawn by the shouts of the two sailors. Riley was pushed out of the way so someone else could get a better view, but thankfully Tony motioned her over and let her step-in front of her to get a better view. Her feet played tricks on her making her almost stumble into the circle. Lucas was in the circle pacing in a circle opposite to Victor, who was one of the best swordsman on the ship, or so he claimed. Lucas took his time and patience as Victor lunged at him with his sword which Lucas deflected.

"Is that all you got?" Lucas taunted as he took the offense getting a few strategic swings of the sword. The words only made his opponent's blood boil as the anger started to take over. His footwork was sloppy and he used positions that left his body vulnerable in his rage. It almost made Riley wonder what was said before they challenged each other in the first place. Wherever the two seemed to go the crowd would disperse to give the breathing room that was needed to keep the fight going.

Lucas didn't feel threatened by his competitor, he had fought guys with twice the talent as Victor. His eyes began to look around for ways to end the fight, when his eyes landed on the brunette that was the cause that he was on the boat in the first place. His mind for a split section flashed to the beginning of the day and the almost kiss that happened between them. He managed to trip over a board that wasn't completely flat among the others causing him to lose his sword and his balance in one swoop. The other sailor held out his sword keeping Lucas on the ground.

"Best know when you're beat." Instead of the typical reaction by almost certain loss, instead Lucas smirked.

"I agree." Lucas used his leg to force Victor to the ground as he quickly grabbed his sword to reverse the situation. The captain came out of his quarters and broke up the ship's party.

Lucas looked back at Riley who smiled in his direction, and he turned away. She had almost cost him the match, a mistake that he wouldn't make again.

She had almost cost him the match, a mistake that he wouldn't make again.

Riley took her food that Tony and she had prepared earlier that day. She found a spot next to Farkle and settled down.

"At least there was some excitement today, right?" She asked for a smile. "I had no idea he could fight like that." Her eyes drifted around the ship till they landed on Lucas who was standing on the edge of the boat looking over at water.

"I'll return in a moment." She left her food and her friend and let her feet take her towards the blonde. He looked at her briefly only to glance back at the sea. Riley took the liberty to start the conversation.

"What's your story, why do you need passage?" The salt foam from the ocean splashed up against the ship as it glided through the water. The night had just covered the sky littering it with the heavens above. With all the time, they had spent together, Lucas found out so much about her, but she barely felt like she knew him.

"You inspired me to." He answered shortly not really open to her line of questions. He was amused at her attempts to be subtle.

"But do you have any family; are you worried about leaving them behind?"

"Aren't you a curious one?" He deflected the question still staring out at what seemed like endless wall without land. The sooner they got to land the sooner he could move on to the next thing whatever that would in tale, but she didn't need to know that.

"Well if we are to be on this ship for quite some time we might as well become acquainted." Her logic was sound, they had just met in a Tavern, and within two days they had almost kissed and she barely knew anything about him. It wasn't like she made friends with anyone on board in her short time there besides the couple conversations she had with Tony, and this way the line of communication would be open between them.

The next stop was supposed to be Saint Lucia, a trading port that was known for their exotic spices. She would pick up some spices as a peace offering to soften the blow and consequences of running away in the first place.

"I do not think that it will be a problem." His grin grew tighter and his lips spread wider and Riley was beginning to wonder what he wasn't telling her. He always seemed to be a step ahead of her no matter what she did, down to the point of knowing which Tavern they were going to.

"Why ever not?" She inquired in a confused fashion but found that she was fascinated with how the water seemed to make his eyes sparkle. He sure was handsome compared to some of the other brutes that she had encountered. Although if she learned anything on the trip it was that she couldn't just settle with Charlie when she returned.

"We'll be in Martinique by morning." Her eyebrows knitted together in concern as confusion took over. Why would we be going back, there was no reason- Her mind seemed to stop at the realization, her eyes grew wide.

"Who sent you?" The words were pointed as anger took over, not necessarily at her Father or even at him, but at herself for leading her so called captor right to her. Any remembrance of going back on her own free will was forgotten as the thought that she was dragged back. The building anger didn't seem to faze Lucas, but rather brought him amusement.

"Your father," Of course he would send people after her, after all it wasn't the first time she had tried to run either; just the first time she had attempted to use ships.

"Look, whatever he's paying you I can double it if you never saw me." It was a last-ditch effort at best Riley knew because the panic was starting to take over her system. Getting access to any money would prove difficult, because just as hard as it was to sneak out of the home, getting in was much harder. Her answer made him scoff in disbelief almost as if he was insulted.

"I sincerely doubt that, Princess." The sarcasm laced between his words. He had called her bluff and both knew it. She felt so foolish that he could trick her so easily, just the thought was causing her to lose her temper.

"How dare you use that tone with me," she snapped harshly.

"Look your father is only paying me to bring you back alive and unharmed, not to wait on you hand and foot. So, if you excuse me, I will be returning to my quarters." He started towards the stairs below before turning back.

"Oh, and don't try and bribe the Captain, I already told him not to trust you."

"The nerve! I can't believe that I thought"- She wouldn't even finish uttering the end of the sentence. Just the thought that she almost kissed him made her skin crawl.

There was a commotion that stopped all conversation; it drew both pair of eyes to realize that they weren't alone. Several other crew members had swords resting against their throats and if they protested then it would be their last words. How had they not noticed the ship being taken over by what she had to assume were pirates by their vessel. There was the sound of boots walking the wood made her ears perk up. She knew that she was supposed to be afraid but part of her was excited; maybe she would see some pirates that she heard about from the stories that local sailors who came into port. To Riley's surprise it wasn't a man at all but a blonde but short intimidating woman. Her steel blue eyes seemed focused like she was on a mission as her gaze past over her prisoners; a mischievous smirk played her lips as she drew her sword.

"Everyone stay still, I'm talking over the ship."

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 **A.N.- So a lot of happened over this chapter and it's just going to get more intense. Let me know what you think. Until next time.**


	7. Chapter 7 Brig Talk

**A.N.- Back with another chapter. I can't thank you all enough for the support that you all have given me. I'm updating this today and hopefully WH on Thursday. Things are heating up in both stories.**

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Riley couldn't help but notice that Lucas's first instinct was to reach for his sword being prepared to fight, but was met with oppositions.

"I wouldn't try and be brave for your lady friend if I were you." Riley's mouth hung open almost insulted that this stranger would even imply that they were together. She was about ready to go and take Lucas's sword to fight them herself.

"We are not together," the words spat out of her mouth which earned a smirk from the pirate.

"Whatever you say, I still wouldn't touch that sword if you wanted to stay intact." Riley didn't realize that she was halfway to grabbing Lucas's sword and retracted her hand. She would never get back to her family if she cross blades with a pirate, it would have a negative impact on her health. She didn't like the idea of just giving up the ship to their hostile guests, but there was not much else she could do. Her eyes darted across the ship to see Farkle with a knife against his throat.

"What do you want us to do with them Captain?" A roar of laughter echoed among the buccaneers.

"Do what you must with the Captain, and the rest we'll take to the training port get what we can for them, and then we'll figure out what to do with them." One by one they were taken prisoner and taken aboard the other vessel. Riley winced as she they tightened the rope too tight because of her spunkiness. She almost wondered as she crossed the plank of wood to the ship if she fared better casting herself to the sea and letting the waves have their way with her. But she didn't have the time to make her decision before she was basically pushed down the stairs and jammed into a cell.

"Weren't you ever shown some manners?" She yelled at her captors, but they laughed at her expense.

"What do you expect to do, scold them to death?" Her body froze as a shiver crossed her skin; she wished that she didn't.

"Oh no." She groaned, but when she turned around it only confirmed what she dreaded. It wasn't enough that she was kept from her plan of returning home without finding Josh, or her ship was taken over by pirate scum, but now she was forced to share a cage with someone that she now despised.

"I'm not happy about it either Princess."

"Just stay on your side and I'll stay on mine." Riley rested her head against the metal bars wishing that she could ignore the stench of the people who surrounded her.

"You know this is all your fault you know." He drew out his words his eyes rolling up to the ceiling.

"I beg your pardon; how did I cause our ship to be taken over by pirates? Please tell me." There was no logical way that her mind could come up with that that it would be her fault. Lucas just shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's bad luck to have a girl on a ship," Riley scoffed.

"That doesn't seem the case for the pirates." She mumbled under her breath.

"Well she has the sword fighting skills that you don't possess."

"You are unbelievable, do you know that?" The dread started to fill her system that she was stuck in this cell with the likes of him.

"Well lucky for me, I don't mind your opinion of me."

"I can't believe that I thought"-

"What Princess, pray tell, what did you think."

"That I could open up to you about my brother," she muttered unfortunately loud enough for him to hear. She almost had that morning which seemed like so far ago. She shifted her knees up into a more comfortable position while wrapping her arms around them. Her answer seemed to grab Lucas's attention, as he felt his hard exterior begin to crack. He sat up and looked her way and saw just how defeated that she looked.

"What about your brother?" He glanced around to find people were mainly entertaining themselves in their prison from talking to themselves to sleeping and hoping that it was all a dream. Riley offered him a second glance trying to tell whether he was just playing with her emotions again.

"He was kidnapped when I was little, I didn't even get a chance to remember him. My parents hid it from me, can you believe that, he was my brother. Can you imagine, one day they are there and the next they're not?" Lucas hesitated as he subconsciously bit his lip.

"No, I can't." His voice was soft almost as if their conversation brought back memories for him and made him relive it repeatedly. She could tell that he was holding back, but decided not to push for answers further.

"But I suppose that doesn't matter now, I'd imagine we will be dead before too long." A somber silence fell between the two of them at the thought.

"I won't let that happen." Lucas's words caught her off guard and she peered once again at the blonde. Maybe she did have him pegged wrong.

Her doe eyes peered up at him and he let out a shallow sigh, there was no reason that she should affect him that much. The best thing he could do was just avoid the situation a little bit longer.

"You should get some sleep, you'll need it." He turned his body away from her as he tried to get as comfortable as he could against the metal bars.

Riley's eyes never left him, she had seen a different side of him tonight, it kind of reminded her of when they first met when she found him charming in the least. There was a different story about him that was hidden, but she was sure that if she spent more time they would communicate more. They had no choice but to be on the same side with this scenario, if they weren't they might as well be dead. Maybe he wasn't all bad as she had decided previously that night. She laid her head to the side even though it was a downgrade of her sleeping place on the other ship. She didn't know if poor sleep was better than no sleep, but she needed some regardless. Her vision started to fade in and out as sleep was trying to claim her. It wasn't like anything could attack her without waking her. Her eyes fluttered closed as she hoped that whatever dream she had would be better than her current situation.

* * *

Farkle was jerked awake when the ship rocked from wave. Even though he had only been on the ship for a couple days, he was still trying to get used to the movement. It often woke him most nights when they were on the other ship. He would make use of the time, write in his journals or go over old experiments to see if he learned anything else with fresh eyes on the subject. But tonight, was different, he didn't have anything preoccupied, so his mind was prone to wonder. His eyes drifted towards Riley and their newest "friend", it was fascinating to watch them interact. They would pretend that they didn't have any connection, but it was obvious to anyone who paid closer attention. He wondered how long it would take the two of them to figure it out themselves.

The sound of Zay coming to brought him out of his musings to turn his attention to Zay in the cell right next to him.

"Trouble sleeping again Sir?" Farkle was surprised that he would even know that, but he simply nodded.

"Yeah, there's too much excitement to sleep."

"Agreed Sir."

"You can call me Farkle," he offered. He wanted to increase communication between the two of them. Hesitation was apparent, even with the low light that was offered.

"What do you think will happen to us Sir-Farkle?" It was a question that was plaguing him to, he didn't know what to tell him. The odds weren't exactly in their favor. He was still young in his life, plenty of years ahead of him, but now he wasn't sure.

"I don't know, but what I do know, is that we are in this together Zay." He offered a smile towards him and the quiet settled peacefully.

"Isaiah," Zay said. Farkle glanced toward him with confusion spread across his face.

"What?"

"My name is Isaiah." Just like that the bond between them had strengthened with a simple conversation and the knowledge that they would look out for each other. Farkle stuck his hand through the bars to offer a handshake, to which Zay accepted.

"Nice to meet you Isaiah."

* * *

Riley's eyes shot open when there was some commotion from two of the pirates coming down the stairs. She couldn't imagine them keeping them in here for more than a day, but it was harder to determine the time without access to the sun and its whereabouts. Riley was tired of fighting with Lucas, so she had decided to use her energy to sleep. Her eyes peered over to Lucas's side of the cage to see Lucas had done the same.

She didn't put much stock into the pirates coming down to the cells, they had been doing that for the last hour or so she figured; the people that they brought out of her cage never came back. To her surprise the pirates stood in front of their cell and at the sound of the lock coming undone it forced her body awake.

Next thing she knew she was yanked up out of her little corner.

"Get your hands off her." She had no idea that the blonde even cared for her safety, it was probably more if they killed her he wouldn't get the ransom that he was seeking. The pirate that didn't have Riley in his cage reached through the cage and pushed Lucas back onto the ground. Riley bit back her words, Lucas was a lying conceited man, but he didn't deserve the treatment that he was receiving.

"Lucas, it's ok." Her words didn't seem to sooth his anxious mind. Riley closed her eyes as she climbed the stairs preparing her soul should she pass on to the next life; she wanted to be prepared. When she did manage to open her eyes, she found the sun to be blinding. She took a deep breath enjoying the feel of the salt water in the air while she was sure she could. They didn't take her in the direction of the plank like she expected, but rather towards what she could assume was the Captain's quarters.

The blonde pirate stood behind the desk with the cold determined gaze that seemed to be permanently on her face.

"Leave us," her words were dripping with confidence.

"But"-

"Now." It wasn't like Riley was a threat compared to her own psychical condition and knowledge of weaponry. The two men obliged closing the door behind to give their captain the privacy that she requested. Riley turned back to the woman in front of her trying not to be daunted by the torture she was sure to face. Instead she pulled out an object and slammed it on the table and Riley felt her heart skip a beat when she recognized it in an instant; Josh's map.

"This was discovered among your articles, I need to know where you found it."

"Why?" Fear told her that if she didn't answer her questions, she would live to see another hour. She was surprised when Maya slammed a small dagger into the map and her desk in a moment of passion.

"Tell me who gave you this map." Riley jumped at her intensity.

"It was my brother's, he disappeared a while ago, was said to be taken by pirates." She almost wanted to spit the last word, but decided that wasn't the best policy in the moment. She watched as the Captain's eyes widened in shock and her body language became needier.

"What was his name? "Her eyes scanned the desk, looking everywhere but towards the blonde.

"Joshua, Joshua Matthews."

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 **A.N.- And that's where I think we'll end it. I'm so excited for you all to read the next chapter! Let me know what you think, and keep being awesome. Till next time.**


	8. Chapter 8 X Marks the Spot

**A.n.- Here's the next chapter of Shifting Tides. You all have been waiting to meet Josh, so I'm happy to say you'll at least get to meet his character and hopefully get some answers. I wanted you to thank you again for all the support, you really blow me away every single chapter in both stories. Italics are flashbacks.**

* * *

 **"It was my brother's, he disappeared a while ago, was said to be taken by pirates." She almost wanted to spit the last word, but decided that wasn't the best policy in the moment. She watched as the Captain's eyes widened in shock and her body language became needier.**

 **"What was his name? "Her eyes scanned the desk, looking everywhere but towards the blonde.**

 **"Joshua, Joshua Matthews."**

 _The marketplace was bustling with people, it was the perfect opportunity to do a slight of hand to take what one desired and that was exactly what she intended to do. She pawed an apple off a nearby cart while the owner was dealing with other customers. If anything, it would keep her stomach at bay for a while. She stopped after she was sure she had gotten away with the crime something caught her eye. It was the mansion on the hill that seemed to overlook the town, and her mind began to wander about what life would be like living there. When she turned back to take a bite of the food her stomach craved, she had found that it had disappeared instead. She saw a guy wandering leisurely with an apple resting gingerly behind his back. A slight sense of anger flared as she realized that she was stolen from. She began to chase the brunette with every intent to claim what was hers._

 _"Hey," She grabbed his arm to spin him around to get a good look at him, which was probably her mistake to begin with. As soon as she turned the man around and she felt her knees go weak as his piercing blue eyes suddenly fixated on her. All anger had seeped out and it just left with whatever sensation was causing her stomach to have butterflies._

 _"You stole my apple." Her accusation wasn't as convincing as she hoped it would be, because it only brought a smirk to his lips._

 _"Isn't only stealing if you pay for it?" She didn't expect him to answer in such a way that she didn't have a response. A color was starting to appear on her cheeks, but her pride stopped herself from admitting what kind of affect he held over her._

 _"You've been watching me." He rolled down the apple down his arm in her direction._

 _"Guilty." He started to walk away, but her voice stopped him in his track._

 _"Why?" He turned around to face the blonde who was a little less intimidating now minus all her questions._

 _"I've been watching you, and I would like you offer you a job on my ship." Maya rested her hand on her hip, trying to act unimpressed._

 _"Why would I even consider that proposal?"_

" _Because you are longing for an adventure." Maya's eyebrow raised, even though he was correct, there were rarely a person who would read her like this._

" _And what about women being bad luck on a ship?" Surely, he must have heard the stories from the other sailors, to have a woman on board was almost like signing a death sentence for the crew. The mop headed brunette just shrugged not putting much care a lazy smirk appearing on his lips._

" _I like to live by my own rules," The words rolled off his tongue that might as well acted like honey to the blonde. He turned back to his original path, but not before turning back one more time awaiting the answer._

" _Are you coming?" She didn't hesitate a heartbeat before running after him._

Everything happened so fast, the next thing the brunette knew was she was shoved against a wall with a sword against her throat. She never was afraid of death, she rather spent her time alive and living life. Maybe that was why she didn't have her life flash before her eyes or anything else she was told that she would witness moments before her life came to an end. Her eyes widened with shock as her eyes matched that of the Captain.

"What did you say?" The blonde's voice was full off a sort of desperation. It made her ponder how a pirate would know her brother. Did he come across her path at one point?

"Joshua Matthews." Riley closed her eyes preparing for the worst, hoping that she would just make her life end quickly, but it never came. When she finally peeped, her eyes open she saw that Maya had retracted her sword and turned away. Even though furthering questioning her might not be the best idea, but she could help herself.

"Did you...Did you know him?" The question just made the blonde scoff and then realize that she was being serious.

"He told me that he had a sister, I just never pictured us picking up the Governor's daughter on a trade ship." Riley's mouth fell slightly agape, she hadn't expected the Captain above all people to know her secret.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." Riley wasn't sure how much a pirate's word was worth, but it was all she had to go on in the present moment.

"Is he alive?" She had some interaction with her brother and she need to know whether her hunch was correct. Surely, she would know if her brother was alive or not, or even if she could tell her any ounce of detail about what he was like. The question seemed to simmer with the Captain, like she didn't quite know how to respond to the question.

"I hope so." Those words didn't instill lots of confidence.

"He was taken almost a year ago, our ship got taken and he was taken, I haven't seen him since." Her brother was a full fledge pirate, if only her parents knew that he was alive.

"He was a pirate?" She had to know for sure, but her question evoked a laugh from the blonde, and with a couple words she turned Riley's word upside down.

"He was the Captain."

"W-What?"

Riley reached for a chair to provide some support so her legs wouldn't completely give way; her brother, a Captain of a pirate crew? What her parents would lose it if they knew that their son was engaging in pirate behavior.

"How?" There were so many questions running through her head and her mind could only process so much at one time.

"He'll have to tell you the whole story. There are some things that he hasn't shared with me yet."

"How is the map involved?" The map didn't seem all that useful being torn in two, it would not be useful in the activities of treasure hunting she would imagine.

"I don't know, after Josh disappeared he gave me orders to give the map away. I never figured out how to use it properly, Josh didn't want me knowing for my safety. I figured since you were related to him maybe you had more insight or he left some instructions with you." Riley's eyes were cast over the map trying to recall any detail that she may have missed in the past, but came up empty.

"No, sorry, I wish I could be more help." Maya stabbed the table with a nearby knife with frustration.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Somehow Riley knew that she wasn't speaking to her.

 _"Want to know a secret?" Josh's words made the blonde jump in her skin. She turned around as the boyish grin grew wider knowing that he had succeeded in his mission. She punched his arm in retaliation before cracking her own smile._

 _"I told you not to sneak up on me like that." Their eyes locked and she saw a hint of remorse for his actions; it was hard to stay mad at him with his boyish charm._

 _"I couldn't help it, you looked like you were in a trance, and I couldn't lose my second in command, now could I?" He teased. He led her to his quarters away from the prying eyes of their fellow crew mates._

 _"Josh," she closed the door her interest was perked by his secrecy. "What is this about?" Josh answered her question but rolling out a map on the table between them._

 _"A map?" She strolled towards it not sure what Josh had gotten himself into, he was prone to wandering into chaos._

 _"I got it when I was younger. I stole it from the pirates who had kidnapped me right before I managed to escape. I spent hours spent hours pouring over this until I realized what it was; it is a treasure map." Maya's eyes widened at the new news from her Captain. It was risky stilling from a pirate especially one of that caliber that had taken him, she was surprised that Josh made it out with his life._

 _He pulled out a compass key of some kind out of his pocket and set it down on table next to the parchment paper._

 _"I stole this from the Captain's quarters before I left. To my knowledge, it is the key to this map, but I want you to keep it." Maya's fingers grazed the object feeling the wood underneath her tips, for him to trust him with this spoke volumes for the trust between the two._

 _"You're giving it to me?" She questioned her insecurity showing through, she had learned that when it came to Josh, she could just be herself. He picked it up placing it in the palm of her hand and closed her fingers. A secret conversation lingered between the two with just their looks to one another._

 _"And Maya, I need you to promise me one thing."_

 _"Name it," she replied without hesitation._

 _"If anything happens to me, I want you to step up become Captain and take the map to Martinique and give it to a lady by the name of Rhiannon Lawrence." The blonde's eyebrows knitted together, what did he mean if something happened to him. It was almost as if he was expecting the worse to occur._

 _"That won't happen," she replied her emotions starting to take control._

 _"Just promise me Maya." He pushed her again. It took her a minute as she mulled over everything she was told, but was Josh just telling her this because he was expecting something to happen to him?_

 _"I promise." Maya replied, not realizing how soon that her promise would be put to the test._

Riley didn't know what to tell as she watched the blonde obviously facing an internal struggle and she couldn't do much to help her. Her eyes drifted to the compass in her hand, there was something off about it. Most compasses were round and plain for taking the owner wherever they desired to go, but this one different. The outside of it was in the shape of the sun which was unique for the idea of a compass. Luckily for the two girls, in the mist of Maya's daydream she was holding at the right angle that a stream of sunlight pushed its way through the lenses to land on the map. She swore at first that she was seeing things that did not exist, but her eyes narrowed to increase her focus only to see that there was more to this map than appeared.

"Wait just a minute," Riley's words seemed to snap the blonde out of her trance, and Riley ripped the map from its resting place and placed it against the window.

"What are you doing?"

"Just wait." She could feel the heat of the sun through the window, she just hoped that the heat would be enough to expose the rest. After waiting a couple minutes, she removed it and laid it back in its original place. Their eyes widened at the new writing on the map. Maya's finger followed the writing till it reached a set up coordinates. She cracked a smile as she felt a new sense of knowledge wash over her.

There was a knock at the door which caused the girls to jump in surprise. One of the pirates who had accompany her earlier to Maya's cabin made his presence known, as he entered Maya positioned her body in front of the map blocking it from their view.

"I told you not to disturb us." Her voice carried a bit of bite to in and Riley could have sworn she saw him flinch.

"Sorry my lady, I just assumed that you would want me to escort her back to the brig. We would be land at the port by tomorrow." At his words, Riley felt fear start to sink in, now that Maya got what she wanted, what was stopping her from disposing of her now and get more treasure for herself; she was a pirate after all.

"No." Her words caught everyone off guard.

"No?" He parroted back to her in confusion.

"Riley and her friends are now my honored guests, and anyone who treats her or less than that must answer to me. Spread the word among the crew."

"But Captain"-

"This is not a point to argue, now go. Now go get that blonde boy,"

"And Farkle, Zay, and Tony." Riley interrupted to which Maya nodded. He obeyed without any more arguments although Riley could tell that he was annoyed with her decision. The two girls turned to each other, but for the first-time Riley didn't know what to say.

"Why did you"- She found she couldn't finish her sentence.

"It was what Josh would have wanted, and any family of his is a friend of mine. I can't let the entire crew unless I want a mass mutiny on my hands, but I can release you and your friends. And you can call me Maya." The two parted ways, Maya to hide the map and Riley to the main deck just in time to witness Lucas being shoved to the ground. He rubbed his sore shoulder clearly confused on what they were doing to him. The went back under to fetch the others when Riley and Lucas's eyes connected.

"How did you managed to pull this off?" It seemed that they didn't tell them much of anything, so he was looking to her for answers. It was in her best interest that she knew why Maya did what she did.

"Sometimes," she glanced back towards the door she had walked through moments earlier. "You just got to know the right people."

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 **A.N.- Didn't end on a cliffhanger this time, but you might still have SOME questions, all of which will be answered in due time. But if you can't wait, leave it in the review and I'll answer it either one on one or in the next chapter. You all are amazing. Don't forget to tell me what you think. Till next time.**


	9. Chapter 9 Crossed Blades

_"How did you managed to pull this off?" It seemed that they didn't tell them much of anything, so he was looking to her for answers. It was in her best interest that she knew why Maya did what she did._

 _"Sometimes," she glanced back towards the door she had walked through moments earlier. "You just got to know the right people."_

"Want to put your skill where your mouth is?" Riley outburst caught the blonde off guard and he tore his eyes from his sword to the brunette. It had been a couple days since all the excitement had occurred and things had at least been cordial between them. The couple of sailors who kept them company on deck started to make the noise to fuel the taunt even more.

Riley had very little experience with the sword, but she had seen enough fights to know the basics. Lucas had some skill with a sword that she had witnessed, but he did almost lose that fight a week ago; there was a chance that he could had suck luck again.

"Is that a challenge, Princess?" He scoffed. Riley wasn't sure if she meant the words, she was tired of him exhausting the details of his stories, but whether she did or not, the offer still stood between them. Riley took a burst of courage and picked up a nearby sword and held it lower. Lucas scoffed in disbelief as he stood to his feet drawing his own weapon.

"I can take it easy on you." Riley's sword struck against his catching him off guard.

"I didn't ask you to."

Riley didn't know what possessed her but it was too late to back out now. Her confidence should help her out in some fashion, but not as much as a skilled swordsman. There were cheers from the audience that only encouraged the duel further.

"Last chance to change your mind." Lucas offered sensing her nervousness at the proposition, but her pride prevented to do so.

"Not a chance." The two began to circle waiting for the other to attack first. Riley didn't have much experience with a sword except a fake one when she was younger. She was very clear that she was over her head, but she needed to focus if she wanted to stand even half a chance.

Riley chose to attack first with her sword carrying out a strike to his left side, but he anticipated the move and could block it easily.

"Is that all you got?" He taunted knowing that he was getting under her skin. His words aggravated her even further to strike again catching him off guard. He could maneuver the sword for defense purposes to save his own skin. Lucas was patient with his time, he knew that the best offensive move is that of defensive, so he waited for Riley to make a mistake.

Their swords clashed once more and the metal began this dance with each other just as Riley and Lucas began their own dance.

Riley's heartbeat started to race as she was starting to lose place of her footwork. Her anger had started to fade as another feeling started to wash over her. Her blade slid down his as they were face to face. His eyes captured hers and she felt her knees start to grow weak. He had caught her off guard when he gently pushed her back with his strength and the next attack from her was with error. He managed to catch the sword in just a way that with one movement with his hand sent the sword flying across the deck. Riley's eyes widened as they jumped from her lost sword to Lucas, but the more pressing matter was Lucas holding a sword to her throat.

"I wouldn't question my skill again Princess." Riley nodded slightly and he removed the sword and returned it to its carrier. Riley knew it was a long shot, he just wanted him to stop bragging, or maybe she wanted to prove that she had some use if it was ever needed. The best place for her to do is go somewhere else and lick her wounds quietly. She started to walk away and even when Lucas called out her name she still started to head towards the bow of the ship.

Lucas watched as the brunette leave, but before he could chase after her he was interrupted with questions from some of the other pirates. He didn't want to beat her too badly, but he couldn't lose this fight against someone who had such little experience no less.

Riley seemed to be back to hating him, which made him sigh; he thought they had gotten past that by now. They managed to have civilized conversations before the fight that made him question where they stood. Not that he cared, he was only there to keep her safe till he returned her to where she belonged; she was just a job. Her father was paying good money for her return, and he had never turned down a job. He closed his eyes and her eyes flashed before her eyes caused some emotions to stir within him. It would be a bad idea to follow her in the present moment, she didn't want to talk to the man that just demolished her in a sword fight. He would allow her to cool off and then approach her later to attempt to fix the damage that has been done.

Her eyes were glued on the ocean in front of her as her mind wandered to the events that just occurred. She didn't know why she challenged Lucas in the first place, she just wanted not to be as helpless as she felt when the pirates invaded. If she couldn't handle Lucas with a sword what change did she have against other real threats. Maybe she wasn't prepared to run away in the first place, she was much better off staying at home, it was safer that way. She was thankful that at least these pirates had a common link with her; Josh. The news from Maya was still sinking in, and it revived a hope that maybe he was still alive and they could meet some day. She hadn't heard many stories besides the ones that she heard when she was in the port, but even then, some of those could have been just tales that they told to past the time. From the life on the pirate ship was different than she ever imagined.

"Pretty view, isn't it?" The voice caused her to jump realizing that she wasn't alone. The voice didn't belong to Lucas like she imagined but rather another blonde hair blue eyed pirate that she recognized from around the ship.

"I didn't know anyone was out here too." Her hands absent mindedly stroked the railing with the grain as her eyes looked everywhere but him.

"Well it is a ship, there's not many places to go, and between you and me; the scenery is unbeatable. And I've seen my fair share of beautiful things," his view didn't leave her increasing the blush on her cheeks.

"My name is Samuel," he nodded in her direction.

"Riley," she responded offering a smile.

"You know, I couldn't help but see that little sword fight with your little friend back there." Riley pushed her hair behind her ear.

"You did?" There was a slight air of paranoia in his voice, she was sure that was sure that word would travel among the ship quickly and soon everyone would know about what happened.

"You had some skill, you just needed to refine your skill." Riley's eyebrows rose in slight disbelief.

"You think so?"

"I could help you practice if you want?"

"What's in it for you?" It seemed strange for a pirate of all people to offer her help her with sword technique.

"Satisfaction when you wipe the floor with that guy the next time you face him." That thought produced a laugh, pushing her sword against his throat in victory. She didn't know why, but the offer for help was very tempting.

"Consider me your pupil." She bowed low showing him the respect that she felt he deserved.

"Alright first rule of a sword fight, be aware of your surroundings. You have to be able to make a rash decision and use the high ground to gain the upper hand."

His words made sense, the person who had the higher ground would have the upper hand in the fight.

"Alright, what's next?"

"Step two be aware of your environment, you can use things like the sunlight to your advantage to temporarily blind your oponant, and the darkness could use to conceal yourself." He tilted his sword causing the sun to shine temporarily in her eyes. She smiled when she regained her vision back but Samuel had managed to move in closer to her.

"Next you draw your sword and make sure you relax. If you are tense you give your opponent the upper hand. You need to be able to strike with clarity, speed and accuracy. But one of the biggest thing you could do is keep your balance." He stepped back and got into a defensive stance.

"Make sure you keep your feet shoulder length apart it will help with when you swing." Riley tried to mimic what he was trying to tell her. He then proceeded to show her how to swing her arm to give an extensive blow with the sword.

The day seemed to fly by as he took her on the next part of training. He fetched his sword and they went through a couple walk through of a couple scenarios where Riley could use the knowledge that she had learned. Riley didn't dare not to say it but she was having fun. Samuel was easy to be around and talk to, if she was completely honest he gave off a similar vibe than what she felt when she was around Lucas, minus the need to fight. She had started to open up to him and share little facts about her home and her family and he did the same. She never thought that she would be exchanging a story with a pirate, maybe they weren't as bad as she originally thought. Their practice was interrupted with calls for food, and it wasn't till they called that Riley realized how hungry she was.

Lucas crossed his arms trying not to give away his sour mood, but it started seeping through the cracks. What was she doing with this random pirate, she would never stoop so low. Her laugh was carried by the wind and graced his ears that only caused his scowl to increase more. If she befriends a pirate, they would be able to help her slip out of his grasp. He hadn't seen Riley for the better half of the day, and now that it was time to eat, she shows up with some pirate that he didn't even know his name or anything about him. By the looks of the brunette she looked like she was enjoying herself more than she should have.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that you were jealous." Tony's voice caught him off guard and his gaze shifted anywhere but Riley.

"What are you talking about?" Tony barely knew him, they had only a couple conversations There was no way possible that he could tell him what he felt about anyone especially Riley.

"Your eyes give away every time." Tony pointed to Riley who was currently laughing at whatever her company was saying.

"You don't know anything about me." Lucas shot back with slight irritation in his voice.

"I know you feel something for Riley." He countered with a bit of mischief in his response. Tony had the privilege to watch them interact, and he had to admit that there was something between the two even if they didn't recognize it. He had conversations with Riley regarding the matter and she seemed to be just as stubborn as he was. He figured that the two of them would just need a little push in the right direction.

"Riley?" he replied with disbelief. His eyes drifted back to the girl that had caused him to question the thought of returning her all together. She seemed happier on the ship with the adventures that were ahead of her.

"I don't have feelings for her"- The stuttering didn't help his case with the cook. An image of Riley since she met him flashed before his eyes of her smiling and their almost kiss, there was no way that he had feelings for her.

"You can lie all you want Lucas, but there will come a time where you'll have to face yourself, and even then, you can't hide it from yourself." Tony turned his attention towards someone else leaving him his word of warning. Lucas turned back to Riley whose attention was still solely on this other pirate. He still had an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach just watching their interaction. Tony couldn't be right, there was no way that he had any feelings for the girl, they barely knew each other.

It got to the point where Lucas couldn't take it anymore, he left the food forgotten, his focus pure on the brunette. He walked past the other sailors without a second thought, until he reached the other destination which felt like cities apart verses just a ship length. Suddenly he felt two sets up eyes on him and realized that he didn't have much to say.

Riley saw Lucas approaching them and suddenly her body froze up with anticipation. When he was finally standing in front of her, she felt the tension between Samuel and Lucas.

"Riley, can we talk?" Her chocolate eyes crashed into his meadow eyes and her afternoon with the pirate faded away and she forgot why she was mad at him in the first place. She felt torn between the two, but after a couple seconds she agreed.


	10. Chapter 10 Mermaid Waters

**A.N.- You all are amazing. This chapter is dedicated to Courtney, Kayla, and Shelia to which they encourage me to write my best for you all. Make sure you all read the author's note at the bottom.**

* * *

"Riley, can we talk?" Her chocolate eyes crashed into his meadow ones and her afternoon with the pirate faded away and she forgot why she was mad at him in the first place. She felt torn between the two, but after a couple seconds she agreed.

The two stepped to the side doing their best to escape prying ears of the ship, Riley crossed her arms in front of her waiting for him to speak. They hadn't spoken all day, and she wondered exactly what he had to say to him.

"Riley"- He hesitated sorting through everything that he wanted to say to the girl in front of him. Tony couldn't be right, he couldn't be jealous of the pirate and Riley, and even if he was he wouldn't admit it let alone to her.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok." His words took her off guard. Since when did he care for her, after all it was more likely that he just wanted to make sure that his asset was ok, so she wouldn't do anything stupid.

"Really?" She scoffed in disbelief.

"Riley, I- I just want you to be careful spending time with that pirate, I have a bad feeling about him."

"First off, his name is Samuel, and I can spend my time with anyone that I wish." She didn't understand why he was protesting this much, granted he didn't know that Samuel was teaching her how to fight, but she didn't need to explain that to him.

"He's a pirate!"

"And you're a bounty hunter," her body turned towards him their anger feeding off one another. She could believe how unreasonable he was being right now, he didn't have any claim to where or who she spent her time with. There were only a couple explanations that could rationalize it, and her eyes narrowed at one guess.

"You're jealous." She breathed out loud enough for him to hear. His eyes widened and her heart rate increased.

"Don't be ridiculous." He didn't like that so many people could see through his tough guy routine to his motive.

"Like I would ever be jealous or you and that pirate, princess." He emphasized the word, as if it had negative connotations. Riley crossed her arms again her walls building back up her defenses between them.

"Well Lucas," She pointed her finger into her chest. "Since you're not jealous, I will continue to spend as much time with Samuel as I see fit, and there's nothing you can to do about it," Lucas stumbled back from the sudden forced. Riley ran her hands down her dress trying to calm down her temper.

"Now if you excuse me, there other people that actually care about me and my well-being." She brushed past him leaving him with his mouth agape trying to grasp words to try to alleviate the situation.

* * *

Riley thought that the next day would bring her more comfort, but her conversation with Lucas was still stuck in her mind, and thus causing her to lose sleep at night. She took the time to go up on deck and practice the sword techniques that Samuel had showed her. But this time when she ascended the stairs she noticed a different atmosphere on deck, everyone was talking in a low manner and there wasn't nearly as much boisterous behavior.

"Maya," she tugged on the Captain's overcoat. "What's going on, did something happen over the night?"

"During the night, we entered into mermaid territory."

Now Riley had not heard much about mermaids while she listened to the sailors' tales. She had heard one who dared to talk about it barely escaping with his life as mermaids attacked his ship. They were said to be horrible creatures that lured sailors to their death, caused storms, and attacked ships.

"Is it true what they say?" Riley's voice was hesitant, if the stories were true they were in a perilous position. Maya avoided eye contact with the brunette and mumbled, "just say low and be quiet." Riley was going to interject, but was interrupted by a loud shout from a pirate in the crow's nest.

"Mermaids!" The cry had a distinct sense of panic attached to it. Riley's curiosity became too much to bear and she rushed to the edge of the boat just in time to see the herd of mermaids that were jumping through the water swiftly towards their ship. Her body was hauled back suddenly till her eyes met familiar green ones.

"Riley, what are you doing? Don't you know what they could do to you?" It was almost touching to see him care, but it fell back to the matter of he was telling her what to do, even if it was for her safety. She tore her arm out of his grasp, and retreat further back on the ship to an area that was more secure.

"What's your orders, Captains?" Maya grabbed her hat and adjusted it, there seemed to no fear apparent at all despite the drastic danger.

"Grab anything that you can use to defend our ship; we stand our ground. Try to capture one if you can, it will be even more we could sell in port." Something started to shift the boat making some of the sailors lose balance. It turned out it was due to the mermaids attacking the bottom of the boat trying to tear any lose piece of wood to make the ship drown to the depths. Sailors started tossing harpoons or anything that they could find below the ship in a last-ditch effort to ward off the beings.

There were some commotions on the other side of the ship as they cast the nets overboard in attempts to catch their enemy. There were shots fired into the water until one hit one of the mermaid's shoulders, who seemed to be the leader of the pack. There was a terrible cry that rendered some of the sailors to their knees, but it looked as if most of them were retreating. A large cheer burst from the boat that they had won the battle, but even so it made Riley wonder if there was a bigger war brewing.

"Captain," Her attention was turned to Samuel, "I think you need to see this." She followed him until he led her to their catch there was a mermaid that hadn't managed to get away. Riley ventured towards the creature; she didn't seem like the killer that just had attacked.

Her tail was one of the most beautiful things that Riley had ever seen. She had blue scales that seemed to glisten as she moved her tail in the sunlight uncomfortable with the fact that she was currently out of the water. Her hair was long covering most of her back, and it wasn't till Riley took another step closer that she turned and hissed at her. She backed away suddenly startled and almost lost her balance. She suddenly felt compassion for the creature, she was surely scared of her capture, which was why she was acting in the manner that she was.

"What is to be done with her?" Surely, she wouldn't survive a couple days out of her lifeline of water.

"Get the glass from downstairs; she will be no good to us dead." Some crewmates disappeared for a couple minutes before returning with a large glass container. Despite the protests and struggle from the mermaids, she still managed to end up where they intended.

Farkle found that the mermaid was capturing ever since she was pulled up on the deck. He had never seen a creature so beautiful. He was mesmerized by the tale that her seamless stomach seemed to flow into. He pushed past people till the case was right in front of him. He started to reach out his hand only to have the mermaid snap at him and he recoil his hand.

"That might not be the safest move mate; they'll kill you whenever they get the chance. Can't trust a mermaid, that's what I always say." Despite the words Farkle still couldn't take his eyes over the sea creature, even when she was being taken away.

Riley couldn't let her eyes out of her sight, while one mermaid didn't seem all that bad, but a whole fleet of them could sink ships and claim lives. After all the excitement wore down, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Lucas was grasping his side. He tried best to hide his pain, but he wore it on his face. Even if they were arguing at the moment, he should really deal with the wound. She removed herself out of the crowd and made her way towards the blonde.

"Quite the excitement today Princess," He winced from the wound when he turned in the wrong direction. Riley grabbed his arm and their eyes connected.

"Let me see the wound." It was a soft command verses a question, Lucas didn't avoid the statement with the way that she was staring at him. He lifted his shirt to reveal a chiseled chest that made Riley's mouth grow dry at the sight. Her hand reached out and contacted the skin in front of her to pull the shirt up further to expose the wound. Her eyes may have been glued to the injury but all she could think about the electricity that was flowing in from the contact of skin. When she realized that her gaze had been lingering way too long she eyes tried to jump anyway but on Lucas, but her cheeks still stained red.

"We need to dress this,"

"Riley- you really don't have to,"- He pulled his shirt down and their eyes connected once more.

"I need to, otherwise it could get infected." The two didn't moved for a second as she had a half smile on her face.

"What is it?"

"You called me Riley," It was one of the first times since he knew her name that he used her real name.

"Slip of the tongue," He mildly teased.

"I should get the bandages"- She left him knowing that if she stayed she would make another rash decision with the blonde.

* * *

Riley had looked everywhere for the bandages for the Lucas, but it didn't seem like there were any in the places that she looked. She ventured back into the one nook that she hadn't visited yet, only to duck behind some boxes towards the back when she saw that she wasn't alone. Her curiosity grew causing her to move closer to hear better.

"Let me get this straight, you want to blow the whole mutiny before it's time. Are you all daft?" The small spaces between the barrels allowed her to see, but what she saw surprised her.

"She's chasing after the Captain who is long gone, when the girl has the treasure map." Her foot slowly inched forward and fell on a softer piece of wood causing a slight creaking sound. Riley let out a small gasp and froze praying that she wasn't found. Her brows met on her face in concern, how could they know about a map that had barely left Maya's quarters. Someone must have snuck into there and snooped around until they found what they were looking for.

"What was that?" They stopped their conversation in a hushed tone.

"It was just this bucket of junk creaking because of the waves." Riley let her breath out quietly, as long as they can blame the ship for any noise she caused, she should be able to continue to spy.

"You know who she is, don't you?" The question caused her to pause again, how anyone could find out that information was beyond her, Maya had made sure to keep her identity a secret.

"She's the Governor's daughter." Some low laughs dispersed among the pirates as if they all had come to the same conclusion. "Once we take over the ship and take care of her friends we could demand a ransom and get some real money in our pockets unlike chasing our beloved deceased Captain. A couple ayes were the response as each pirate was thinking about what they would do with their respected money.

"And after we get rid of her, we can go after the real treasure located on the map." Somehow Riley doubted that all of them would make it to their destination, if they were willing to back stab Maya, they would be more than willing to do so to one another just so they would receive more of the loot in the end. She needed to see their faces so she could report this munity to the Captain, otherwise they could punish the wrong men. She gripped the barrels that were blocking her view and dipped her head just above the line sight so she could see everything that was taken place. There were still crates blocking everyone but the man that she recognized the most was Johnathan who was supposed to be Josh's second in command before Maya. He was the one who was doing most of the talking, and therefore the leader. There was a price for peaking at the mutiny; unfortunately, it was that her hand accidentally knocked an apple from the top of the bunch making it roll in the direction of the meeting. She tried to grab it and missed causing her to stumble causing more noise than one could blame on the ship.

Riley froze in the spot; she couldn't believe that she was that clumsy to make the sound at the point where it is most critical for her to if she wasn't going to get caught.

"What was that?" The sound caused paranoia to spread among all who were present. They started to explore the immediate area to find the source of the noise. Even with her crouched down, it would only be a matter of time before they discover her. Riley wondered if it was normal to feel her heartbeat, she questioned why they couldn't hear her; it was the only sound in her mind. At this point her best option was to rush up the stairs and make a break for the Captain's quarters in hopes that Maya would be able to take care of the munity that was stirring, but even that was questioning her luck, more than likely they would reach her before she even hit the stairs. She was just looking for some bandages for the wounded sailor; she never planned to stumble into what she did, but now she was trying to make the best of the situation and not die. She took a couple deep breaths to give her the courage to carry out the plan. She closed her eyes and bolted towards the stairs all hope was thrown to the wind, at this point she was just praying for survival.

"Looks like we have a rat! Grab her before she tells the Captain!" Someone shouted and she barely dodged a hand coming to grab her preventing her to even reach the deck. She knew that if they captured her she was as good as dead. She just ran as fast as she could, but when she climbed up the stairs she almost tripped onto the floor. The wave crashed onto the deck and she tried to regain her balance. There was a flash of lighting followed by a low roar of thunder, she had heard tales of deadly storms, but it took experiencing one to make her fears come alive. The light from the day had been swallowed the darkness and it was black for as far as she could see.

"Maya"- The blonde stopped her as she started to capture everyone's attention.

"All hands-on deck." In the light of all their safety, the news about the mutiny would have to wait. When Riley was starting to help with the knots, she felt her should be bumped, she looked up to some gray fierce eyes paired with lightning striking behind him; it was almost enough to make her heart stop.

"Wouldn't it be a shame if some of us didn't make it through the storm?"

* * *

 **A.N.- And yes I'm mean enough to leave it there. Alright so I might be posting directly next Tuesday, there some things in my life that are preventing me from writing as much as I wanted to so I fell a little behind. I do promise to update as soon as I can. Let me know what you think! Till next time.**


	11. Chapter 11 Eye of the Storm

**A.N.- So here is the update, hopefully it was worth the wait! You all have been so supportive. I'm so excited where this story is heading and hope you follow me there.**

* * *

 **Last Time:**

 **"All hands-on deck." In the light of all their safety, the news about the mutiny would have to wait. When Riley was starting to help with the knots, she felt her should be bumped, she looked up to some gray fierce eyes paired with lightning striking behind him; it was almost enough to make her heart stop.**

 **"Wouldn't it be a shame if some of us didn't make it through the storm?"**

The wind was raging through the ripped-up flag, the crew jumped into action in attempts to weather proof the ship. Riley had to put Johnathan's words behind her if she had to focus on the task at hand since she didn't know much about how to preserve a boat in a storm such as this. Her eyes jumped up to sailors who were tying down the sail so the they weren't tossed to the wind's pleasure. Others were securing the rope for the cannons, because if they lost those it wouldn't be too long before others would claim their supplies and kill everyone on board. She almost felt helpless to help. She grabbed a rope and attempted to tie down a nearby cannon, but her knots weren't what they should be. A wave hit the ship and caused her to fall to the ground gasping for air wondering how she was going to survive despite the threat she received; if the crew didn't kill her the storm might.

She went to the other side of the ship and focused on the ropes. In a blink of an eye another wave crashed over the ship causing the other canon to come lose and head straight for Riley. She didn't have time to react, it was almost as if her feet were frozen in place. She heard the wood splinter into pieces as and her foot slipped casting her overboard. It was almost like she was free falling until the cold of the water hit her system, she fell into instant shock. She came up for air and try to scream only to have salt water enter her throat.

"Man overboard." The words were barely audible, and she was about to give up hope that she could be saved. The ship continued its course leaving her to the will of the waves.

At the words, Lucas froze from making sure that the wind didn't pick up the sails. His eyes scanned below and his heart rate quicken when he noticed that Riley was not below. She was working on making sure the weapons didn't shift with the waves, and he noticed the wood that was broken; it didn't long for him to connect the dots.

"No, no, no," He slid down the rope till his feet hit the deck. "Farkle, unlock the sail!" Farkle unhooked the rope from its place; Lucas tied the rope around his waist and didn't hesitate as he made a dash for where Riley fell overboard moments before. He didn't care in the moment that what he did was dangerous as his body dove from the ship trying to get as close to Riley as the rope would allow him to. The water hit his body but he could shake off the shock as he began to swim towards the brunette. Her body was sucked under and he dove just barely being able to grab her hand. He pulled her body flush against his as his arm slid around her torso, clinging to her. He pulled on the rope to signal the shipmates to start pulling the two up. They were tugged closer to the ship.

"Come on Riley," he whispered against her skin. He held her tighter as they were hoisted into the air the rain crashing against them and the wind making them sway. They were pulled on to the deck and just the security of the deck caused Riley to cough up the water that had made her way into her body. Lucas reached out and brushed Riley's hair back letting her breath.

"I'll take her below the deck." He wrapped his arm around Riley and hugged her providing what little body warmth that he could provide in attempts to stop shivering. He led her to a safe place to sit. Riley's body shivered and snuggled closer to Lucas without saying a word.

"You're safe now Riley." She leaned her head on his shoulder for support. Nothing in this ship really seemed safe, between pirates, mermaids, and nature against her; there wasn't much for her to rely on. Pirates.

"I got to go tell Maya"- She had to tell Maya about the mutiny so she can deal with the situation, but when she stood up she got dizzy and fell back into Lucas's arms.

"You're not going anywhere, whatever you have to tell Maya can wait."

"You don't understand, there's a mutiny brewing."

"Riley, you're fine. I won't let anyone hurt you." His eyes drifted over her face and his hand started to stroke her hair trying to calm her from the traumatic experience that just happened. He did his best to push any feelings that were rising in the pit of his stomach, but failed. His lips slipped up in a smile without a second thought. The news of a mutiny troubled him, and he almost wondered if someone was trying to kill Riley; anyone could have untied a rope here or there. If he wasn't there, he felt his stomach churn at the thought of not getting there in time. He glanced down to her once more only to find that she fallen asleep against him, her chest rising and falling in a pattern that seemed to calm him too. What he didn't realize was exactly how in over his head he was.

* * *

"Maya, I need to talk to you." Riley rushed through the door shutting the door behind her. She figured early in the morning before most of the crew mates would be awake.

"Riley?" Maya muttered quietly still half asleep herself, she wasn't used to people barging in during her sleeping hours. The way that Riley was acting was enough to sober her body enough to hear the news.

"I didn't mean to burst in like this, it just important." At the sight the blonde sitting up was enough to launch her into news.

"Johnathan is planning a mutiny." Maya's eyes grew wide and a frown took over her features. She sat down on her chair and spread her hairs on the desk.

"Johnathan wouldn't do that."

"Maya, I saw him last night before the storm and they were planning something, you have to trust me." Their eyes connected and Maya let out a sigh.

"He was supposed to be second in command when Josh was the Captain, and then he picked me." Her eyes landed on the desk trying to look anywhere but the brunette, it must be some guilt residing with her. The conversation was interrupted with a knock on the door.

"Captain," Johnathan stopped short when his eyes landed on Riley. Maya stood from her seat.

"Rumor was you were planning on overthrowing me Johnathan," She reached for her sword and pulled half out to show off the blade. As short as the Captain was, it looked like she still intimidated the man as he took a step back furthering the distance between the two.

"That's not true," His eyes shifted once more from Maya to Riley back to his Captain.

"I saw you!" Riley's outburst almost caused the blonde to jump, normally the Riley she had seen was more on the timid side, but there was a fire in her.

"Captain, who are you going to believe? I have served under your rule for a year without question, and now this little rat and now you're going to believe her?" He almost sounded insulted, and when he said the word rat he spat in the direction of the brunette. Maya drew her sword and pushed her way into a position where it was against Johnathan's throat.

"Call her a rat one more time," there was almost a deep almost protective growl in her throat.

"Riley," the girl was eager to provide anything that her Captain needed in a blink of an instant. "Go get the shackles from down below." She was out the door as fast as her legs would allow her. Maya's steel blue eyes join Johnathan's gray ones.

"You're making a mistake," he muttered bitterly.

"One move and I will slit your throat, I wouldn't be testing me right now Johnathan."

* * *

Farkle did a double take making sure there were no prying eyes before he ventured down below deck. He was warned not to come down, it would lead to death, especially alone, but he couldn't help himself. Over the last day or so he had witnessed a living mermaid and now he had the opportunity to research it up close, which was an offer he couldn't refuse. Some of the crews had whispered that is was because they had captured the creature was the reason that the vicious storm fell upon them in the first place. He knew better than to believe the local superstitions, weather patterns like that were normal in the waters that they tread in.

The further he got below deck the more it blocked out any noise from the outside, and Farkle could have sworn he heard-crying mixed in to a sad song? The next step that his foot hit creaked signaling his presence and it grew dead quiet. When he reached the bottom he instantly felt a pair of eyes encroaching on his soul.

Farkle could see how easy it would be for mermaids to lure men to their death in the open waters; they were so enchanting. Her tail still managed to gleam in what little light that the room had to offer. Her long hair floated in the water around her body and her breasts were covered by this blue cloth and grew luminescent over the shoulders. Her stare didn't wavier and for once he felt nervous that he came down to see her.

"I didn't mean to disturb you." He ventured further closer, he wanted to see what the stories were about, but the more he talked the more he felt silly; he didn't even know if she could understand him. He had heard stories about mermaids like singing or hearing their prey sing, but that just meant that they like the sound of their language.

"Can you speak?" Most sailors probably didn't get to interact with the deadly creature in such a way; he considered himself lucky. Her lips tugged into a frown and she flicked her tail.

"Yes," She snapped back at the genius. It would only make sense that she would be able to speak to the prey that they drown. His feet moved even closer even though his mind was screaming not to, but it was almost if she had a hypnotic stare that he couldn't look away if he tried.

"Of course, you do." Farkle stuttered, usually he was good with words but they seemed to escape him right when he needed them; of course, one of the first things that he did was insult a mermaid. It didn't take long for him to notice there was a pool of water that was gathering on the floor right below her prison. There was no way that she would survive till they got to another port, she would be dead and no use to them. He looked around the material that was at his disposal on the floor till he found a putty they used to repairs leaks on the ship. He pinched off enough that it would not be missed but it would still do what he needed to do. He stood back from his work impressed in what he could accomplish with limited time and material, the mermaid was not.

"I don't need your charity." Clearly her defenses were still up, and he didn't blame her. They had taken her away from her home, her family, friends, and now they were headed to sell her in the market to which they would probably misuse her magical properties.

"It wasn't charity; I just thought you would want to remain alive." He countered in a soft voice and then he saw hers start to soften.

"Why," by her tone it had sounded like she had given all hope of being free.

"I'll make sure that you get back to your home," the promise slipped out before he could even stop it. He didn't know how he would fulfill the promise, but it he now felt obligated to get her back home.

Her eyes widened at his words, what human would allow her to go back? She didn't get the chance to reply because there was a commotion up on the deck. He looked towards the door and then back to the mermaid one more time before heading back upstairs. He didn't need want to leave her down there alone, but he needed to see if he was required on deck. They had been through so much in the last 48 hours, but what plagued his mind was how he would keep his word.

* * *

"You can't do this!" Johnathan shouted from the shore. It was a quick trip to a nearby deserted island in which they navigated the ship close enough for him to be able to swim to shore with his supplies. Maya almost took a certain pleasure watching the traitor being pushed to shore with the waves. The price for being the leader of the mutiny and to put the fear of God in the sailors so they wouldn't step out of place again. He was placed on an island and Maya was gracious enough to give him a loaf of bread, a canteen of water and a pistol with one shot. Some of the pirates removed their hats in a sign of respect, even though he was being marooned they had spent over a year with the guy.

"That's where your wrong, I'm the Captain I can do as I see fit." She shouted in return. Maya suddenly started to bark orders sending the crew into their place so the ship may make its way into the ocean. The crew went back to mingling with each other as if marooning someone was something they did daily.

Riley was out the stern of the ship watching the island with the man that she placed there disappearing in the distance. She felt terrible; she had never had someone's well-being in her hands, to play judge and jury for. She felt her stomach twist in knots. Her gaze shifted from the island with thoughts that of a man dying to the blonde man who was standing at the side of the ship his vision caught on never ending sight of the sea. She didn't know what to think of him anymore; sometimes they would have these moments with Lucas, and she would think that there were more between them, and then something happened between them that would pull then back to square one.

He saved her from the mermaids; she had no doubt that if she stood where she did for long enough that she would become a victim to the depths. Lucas had gotten that cut by fighting to keep the ship safe, without everyone fighting for their lives it was a good chance that they would just be skeletons on the ocean floor.

And then there was the storm, Lucas had put himself in harm's way just to save her. She still could feel the water presence in the lungs as the waves tossed her like a rag doll. The sensation of his arm wrapped around her provided instant peace as he pulled her from certain death. He dove into the raging waves just to go after her; if anything happened to that rope then there would have been two casualties that day.

If she was just a reward for him, it wouldn't make sense for him to risk his life in those situations unless her father's reward was one of a lifetime.

Her first instinct was to go and talk to him, but her pride held her feet in their place. It was hard to face him knowing that she owed her life to him not once, but twice. She looked around at the other crew members some were glaring back at him upset about the trouble the mutiny had caused for them all. She knew she could trust Maya, and her friends, but other than that she didn't know who she could talk to. She needed as many people to trust, so she needed to put whatever feelings that stirred when she thought of the blonde.

She passed behind him and leaned against the railing that held her from falling into the murky depths. He glanced in her direction before his eyes drifted back to the water.

"Hi," she knew that she acted cold towards him, but that was her defense mechanism. The corner of his lips twisted upwards in a lazy smile.

"Hey," he turned his head and their eyes connected and in an instant a deeper connection was born between the two with one small greeting and putting their pride behind them.

* * *

 **A.N.- So Rucas fluff, some Smarkle and some action which is far from over. The next chapter is done and just waiting for you all. Let me know what you think! You all are amazing!**


	12. Chapter 12 Finding Answers

**A.N.- You all are amazing. I can't tell you how much it means to me. This story isn't over yet.**

* * *

They two stood side by side both taking in the sight of the endless sea waiting for the other to break the silence between the two. Riley let out a sigh and gripped the side railing for support.

"Thank you," she figured that she owed him at least that. A ghost of a smile played his lips as he realized exactly what she was doing.

"For what?" He teased. Even though he appreciated the thank you, he still wanted to hear everything she had to say on the matter. He just hoped that she didn't question why he jumped into the waves to save her because he hadn't had come up with an answer for that yet.

Instead of finding his little act charming, Riley found it infuriating. Here she was trying to offer him a thank you, and he was just milking it for all it was worth. She had a feeling even if they saw each other many years down the line he would still hold this over her head.

"Never mind," she replied slightly flustered. "I figured I would be able to offer an apology without you acting like this." She started to turn to return down stairs but a hand reached out to her arm stopping her.

"Riley, wait." Their eyes connected and Riley was almost sure that he didn't need to grab her arm to stop her dead in her tracks; he just needed to look at her like that. She didn't know what it was; there was a certain vulnerability that was in his eyes that made her heart pause. She knew based on his behavior that there weren't many he showed this side to, he was probably had a troubled past, it made sense that his walls were built high.

"I'm sorry." She probably didn't realize how painful it was for him to even say the words, he never had cared about other opinions, but there was something different about her that he could place his finger on. He trusted her; he didn't have someone like that in his life for a long time.

"I'm not- I mean I haven't"- no matter how much he wanted to explain what thoughts that were running through his mind right now it didn't seem like the words weren't flowing his mouth as smoothly as he wanted, and her brown eyes were making it hard to focus. Riley walked back to her original spot next to him and he forced himself to turn away.

"My father wasn't in the picture; it was just my mother and I for the longest time. I had to step up and provide for her, but there was one day that we got into a fight and she went to the market. It seems silly now; I don't remember what the argument was about." He ran his thumb with the grain of the wood trying to distract himself enough but not enough from getting off track in his storytelling.

"And pirates decided to attack. It wasn't until the night start to fall that I went to look for, and I hadn't seen her since. I heard that a pirate cut her down while she was trying to protect someone else." His eyes tried to look anywhere but the brunette who was closer than he was used to, but the second she put her hand on his to try and comfort him. The electricity flowed between the two as their eyes connected.

Lucas's eyes fell to her lips wondering what would happen if he leaned in and took her lips into his. They had almost kissed once before, and even in moments like this it seemed like whatever he was feeling for the brunette was mutual. He could kiss her and then confess that he was feelings something, he would forget about the bounty on her safe return and they could just live their lives with each other. He stopped the thinking process knowing that all of this was silly; he didn't know what her feelings were for him, all their interactions could have been just in the moment. He watched as she turned away blushing even though she did her best to hide it.

"The brother of yours that you talked about, was he the one that used to Captain this ship?" His comment only caused her blush to deepen. After Riley had released them from the brig, he had been too curious so he started to snoop, and what he found surprised him.

"Yeah, it turned out that he was Captain for a couple years, but it surprises me that"- He words halfway faded away as the light started to reflect in her eyes. The wind gently blew her hair sometimes in her face, she would push her hair behind her ear and every now and then she would glance down but her eyes always returned to him. It got to the point of where he gave into his desires and reached out grabbed her face in her hands causing Riley to gasp. Her skin was even softer than he imagined he decided as his thumb caressed her check in a loving manner. Her eyes were searching his and no words needed to be exchanged, they had been dancing around this since they first met; the undeniable connection between the two.

"Lucas," she breathed out. "Lucas."

"Lucas," a hand grabbed his shoulder bringing him back to reality of a very concern Riley standing in front of him. His hands were not caressing the face before him but were instead by his side.

Riley tilted her head slightly to the side watching the blonde's behavior closely. If she didn't know any better she could have seen the faintest of blushes spread across his cheeks. She was telling him stories of Josh and he seemed to go somewhere else in his mind, she feared that she was boring him.

"Where did you go in your mind just then?" She was always a curious one who wasn't worried about asking questions of others. She noticed the blush that was already present grew a deeper tone and he tried to look anywhere but at her.

"Nowhere, you were saying." There was no chance where he would tell her where his mind wandered, she was reoccurring in more thoughts and day dreams and dreams that he woke up in the middle of the night. It was harder to ignore the butterflies that fluttered up when she was around. He had done what the rule had forbidden and fallen for the mark.

"I was saying that I wondered what my parents would think about this, sword fighting, socializing with pirates, and the things that Charlie's family would say"- Lucas's eyes narrowed in confusion at her confession.

"Charlie?" There was a certain question in his voice. Their eyes interlocked and a pink tint appeared on her facial features.

"Oh," she had forgotten that she hadn't disclosed her current situation back home.

"Charlie is the man that my parents want me to marry." She made sure to state her that Charlie wasn't her first choice, if she had any say at all she wouldn't marry him; not after her adventures here with him, and everyone else of course.

"Well congratulations." He managed to fake a happy voice. His stomach churned, he needed to go somewhere else that she wouldn't follow him.

"I think I'm going to get some shut eye," it wasn't wrong, between the storms, the mermaid attack, and his Riley dreams, there was much sleep that had occurred over the previous nights. He headed towards the stairs without looking back. As soon as he was out of sight for the brunette he punched the closest wooden beam.

Of course, there was someone waiting for her back home, how could there not be? She was kind, beautiful, and had this certain spunk that made him smile at times. He wasn't looking for someone, he just took a job, and then she walked into view. At first, he rolled his eyes at her antics, she seemed so innocent to all the world had to offer him, but then he came to adore that about her. The real reason that he had saved her in the night of the storm was that it was second nature; he didn't think twice about possibly jumping to his death. When he took her downstairs, she was with him until she fell asleep. He just wanted to tend to her, protect her.

This Charlie character made his skin crawl even though he had never met the man. He was probably high society, a good match for a Governor's daughter, but not for Riley. If she went back she would be living a life of settling, always wanting more. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wood where his hand had just been. He didn't need someone who could converse with the fates to tell him how his story ended; a Governor's daughter would never pick an orphan with nothing to his name.

* * *

Maya's eyes scanned the map and the secrets that Riley had unlocked with her quick thinking. All this time the secret was right underneath her nose and she didn't even realize it.

"Where are you Josh?" She had been looking for her former Captain for the better half of a year to no avail. She had only a couple options left before she exhausted all her resources, and at that point she would have no choice but to assume his death. She wanted to believe that he was strong enough to endure any kind of torture and witty enough to squirm out of any situation that he would come across.

"Captain," Maya used anything she could grab to help cover the map from the intruder. To her knowledge, they had been able to keep the map a secret and she intended to keep it that way. Once the word of a map got out, it only encouraged more mutiny behavior. She had already made the mistake of telling Johnathan, but that had since then been resolved. She only hoped that he didn't share what he knew with the others, but right now she still had control over her ship.

"What have I told you about barging in here," Her tone usually intimidated her crew, but every so often she had to show even more that she was in charge.

"Sorry Captain, we will be docking within the hour." She watched his eyes dip down to the map sprawled across her desk and she snarled at him to dismiss him. She was expected to act a certain way as Captain of a ship, she often wondered what Josh saw in her to give her the honor.

"Maya?" Her anger started to surge until she saw that it was in fact Farkle at the door. At least she knew that she could trust Farkle because Riley spoke highly of him. They had carried some conversations but never ones that lasted more than a couple minutes.

"What is it?" Her words came off more hostile than planned, she saw him physically flinch.

"You can't sell the mermaid." He didn't know what came over him with the burst of courage. He was in no position to demand something from Maya, she spared their life when she could have easily killed them without blinking, but the words had just fallen out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"What did you say?" It was too late to back down now, he had to stand his ground, or at least try to manipulate her into agreeing keeping her.

"Just listen. I know how much she could go for in the market, but wouldn't something like mermaid tears fetch for so much more handsome price?"

Mermaid tears were mysteries to many, just because it seemed like every sailor who had encountered them had a different story to tell. Sailors claimed that their tears produce the most beautiful pearls, others said other kinds of gems, some even insisted on magical properties for any partake of the bitter sweet tears. Not many were able to survive a mermaid attack let alone convince one to cry, so there were so many rumors floating around.

Maya sat there for a second to take in what the scientist in front of her was saying. Sure selling the mermaid now would increase the moment in their pockets, but if she could produce pearls or even give her some powers, it would be well worth the wait.

"And you can convince her to cry?" He stepped back a little at her question that was a daunting task in front of him, he had done some studying on the creatures, but most of it was just speculations. Farkle nodded; it was the only way to buy him time so he could fulfill his promise. Maya's eyes jumped back down to the map.

"Alright she's your responsibility now." Farkle's mouth dropped not believing what he was hearing. The victory was short lived when he realized that he still didn't have a way to bring her back home.

* * *

"Maya, what are we doing here?" It was almost as if she was following her like a lost puppy through the semi crowded streets. Maya had sent the crew off to their own leisure within town to eat drink or whatever their heart desired. Before Riley had joined them, she had pulled her to the side and asked to come with her, she agreed without hesitation but now as she was on Maya's tail, she couldn't help to realize that they weren't in the best side of town. Maya stopped as she had reached her destination and knocked on the door. Riley jumped when part of the doorway shifting revealing a pair of stunning eyes. Maya's voice dropped to a whisper, Riley leaned forward to try and hear what she was saying, but to no avail. The slot shut rather forcefully before the door opened and Maya turned to her anxious companion.

"Stay here and stand guard. I'll be out shortly, and Riley-"

"If I'm not, do not under any circumstances come after me." The door closed quickly behind her leaving Riley waiting out in the ally with some characters that she wouldn't wish to meet in the daytime let alone at night. She clutched her sword with the knowledge that she had the knowledge and skill to protect her if necessary. It seemed odd that Maya would instruct her not to go after her if anything happened to her; but if she wasn't confident in her fighting ability, why bring her in the first place?

Time started to pass to allowing her mind to wander from the situation that she had put herself in. It wandered to her parents and how much she missed them, despite to how much she would hate to admit it. She missed her talks with Vanessa and when she would have to sneak out to the marketplace. Even though Governor and she didn't see eye to eye often, he was still her Father. She had contemplated finding a ship back home earlier in the day, but she found something was holding her back, whether it was the friendship with Maya, the idea of finding her brother, or the thought of Lucas; she had refuse to return home until everything had settled.

Lucas.

Her mind didn't know what to do with the rogue blonde who had walked into her life. It seemed like he was opening up to her on the ship, but ever since then their communication was shut down. He barely looked at her, and had distanced himself to her company. She had wondered if she had said something that offended him, but if she did she couldn't think about what it would be if she did. The nature of their relationship seemed to be one that of push and pull, but she had thought that they were starting to get past that faze.

Riley was slung back to reality when Maya bolted out a stone face plastered on; she didn't reply when Riley called her name. She had never seen Maya like this, almost as if she had seen a ghost, despite her attempts to get the blonde to respond; Maya continued in the direction to the ship.

"Gather the men; tell them to get to the ship at once." Her voice was emotionless, and Riley was sure if she waived her hand in front of Maya's face she wouldn't know if she would notice.

"Maya, what's going on?"

"Go quickly Riley, I won't ask again." Riley reached out and grabbed Maya's shoulder causing her to stop her path to the ship.

"What happened in there?" All color had drained from Maya's face, "I found Josh."

* * *

 **A.N.- I know Josh! Now we just have to go rescue him. I think I'll stop there and make you all want more. White Houses will be updated Thursday if you all read that. Let me know what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13 Blades Twice Crossed

**A.N.- I'm back! I hope you enjoy this chapter. We'll see Josh soon, I promise. This chapter is dedicated to Courtney because she constantly pushes me to write better for you all.**

* * *

The longer that Riley watched Maya pace on the deck the greater her concern grew and the more she wanted to join her. Her skin was still blood drained and her eyes could bore holes in the very wood that she treading on. Riley felt useless in trying to talk sense to the blonde; every attempt to grab the Captain's attention was futile because her mind was focused on Josh. She had barked orders and set the ship into motion, but she stayed on the bow of the ship as if she the second she dipped below deck her hope of finding Josh would disappear as her view changed.

It got to the point where it started to frustrate Riley watching her keeping all her anxiety inside, she took up her courage and grabbed Maya and brought her to the cabin; it turns out that Maya would just continue pacing wherever she was.

"Maya, what was my brother to you?" Out of anything that could have stopped the Captain from pacing including death, those words stopped the blonde cold as her eyes widened and the two's eyes connected.

"What?" she asked almost in a daze. Her mind had gone down to such a dark place; it was almost dizzying to jump back to the reality that she was standing in her cabin alone with Riley.

"What was my brother to you?" the brunette parroted hoping to get some answer out of her. She didn't know what caused her to ask such a question; it was almost like Maya reminded her of a young wife waiting for her husband to come home from the war. Between the trust and the closer quarter, she almost dared to think that something of the romantic nature occurred between the two, but by judging her face, Maya confirmed her suspicions.

 _Maya leaned against the railing enjoying the reflection of the heavens against the calm waters. Her mind had wandered into several thoughts including thoughts of home. She couldn't believe in the world wind of everything that she would agree to run away with a complete stranger and leaving her mother behind. She sent part of her money when she could to help support her but she was wondering if it was enough. She hadn't seen them the better part of a year, would they even remember her if they saw her?_

 _"Care to share where your mind wandered?" Josh's voice made her jump in surprise. He seemed to always know what she was thinking before she herself figured it out, it was what made their connection so strong. Maya bit her lip debating whether to share with her Captain, but knew that he would figure it out regardless if she decided to share._

 _"I guess I'm feeling"- she struggled to find the word to use, what world could she use that a tiny bit of her heart was still linked back to her town._

 _"Homesick?" he offered and her eyes fell to the sea._

 _"It's not that I'm ungrateful or anything, I love being on the ship and the adventures that we have been on, but my mother,"- her voice faded and she regained her composure. "I just wonder why you chose me." The question had plagued her since they started the trip; she couldn't help but see the looks that she had gotten from crew on the day to day activities. She still couldn't look Johnathan in the eyes when they crossed paths on the ship. She was sure that he went out of his way to make her life difficult, but Josh assured her that would fade in time._

 _"I picked you because you were special." He used his finger to guide her face towards him and after a couple second; he leaned in and stole a kiss._

 _"Josh," she backed up and double take to see if there was anyone around that might have seen the two of them. Josh just chuckled at her antics._

 _"Would you relax?" He teased running his hands down her arms to take hold of her. They weren't used to having affectionate display in a public place; they were worried to what the others might think. If others know of the type of relationship they had, it might affect the crew's loyalty to Josh and that was the last thing that she ever wanted, so they kept it just at stares when others were around, but would ravish each other in the secret of his quarters._

 _"No one can see us," he stole another kiss._

 _"And if they see us I can always make them walk the plank," he teased for extra measure. The two stood basking in the moonlight, his eyes captured hers. He seemed happier than she had ever seen him; it sparked the curiosity within her._

 _"Meet me here tomorrow night."_ _He couldn't hide the giddiness in his voice which caught Maya off guard._

 _"What has gotten into you?" He had been acting weird ever since they left port, she wasn't used to seeing this side of Josh._

 _"Just promise me, I have a surprise." He kissed her once more before the subject was dropped and they spent the next hour just admiring each other._

"Did you ever find out why he wanted you to meet him the next night?" Riley's eyes had grown wide; she was always a sucker for the books with happy endings. It had sounded like Maya and Josh truly had something special, but that still didn't explain where Josh had gone. Maya walked over to her cabinet and opened the door to reveal a plain gold band and let out a sigh.

"I have an idea of why," the door closed on the ring; until she found Josh it just proved a painful reminder that he never got to ask her. She had found the ring a couple days later when she was in his cabin, he was planning on proposing but he never had gotten the chance. "But the next day he was taken. Captain Hawkins's ship snuck up on us, they took Josh and left the rest of us half bleeding to death. I was gashed badly and ended up passing out. When I woke, he was gone; I had to tend to myself and the crew." The words were bringing up painful memories that she rather not re-live, but she knew that Riley needed to know the truth with what happened with Josh. By the sound of what Riley had told her, she had gotten even less time with Josh before he was taken the first time, she couldn't even imagine what it would be like for the brunette.

"I've been looking for him for since he was kidnapped. There were points where I almost gave up," her voice wavered until Riley placed her hand on her arm. The simple action proved a calming effect to the blonde.

"You'll find him, Maya." She had no proof to back up her statement, she just had a feeling that she couldn't shake. Maya offered her a small smile gaining some sort of comfort from her friend's faith in her. They hadn't known each other very long, but it had felt like they already knew one another for a life time.

* * *

Riley found that she couldn't take her eyes off Lucas cleaning his sword. He used such care and precision, Samuel had told her that the sword was an extension of her arm; she wondered if that was why Lucas was so successful in his skills of the blade.

Her presence seemed to go unnoticed by the other crew as they started to talk among themselves about the fight that was to come. The details that some of the others used in the conversations made her want to crinkle her nose, but she had not to react if she wanted them to think of her as someone not as fragile. She already had so many obstacles to face because she was a woman; at least Maya had the title of Captain to give her respect.

"So, what's the plan of attack? "All she wanted was to be an equal but by the judging the facial expressions of those around her she knew she had a long way to go. Lucas stood up from his seat and their eyes locked as he made his way towards her.

"Wouldn't it be better if you stay on the ship?" There was slightly selfish motivation to keep her safe, he didn't know what he would do if something happened to her, let alone what he would tell her Father. He watched her nose wrinkled in disdain at the words and he knew there was going to be some resistance.

"I can fight," she lashed back slightly insulted. She had practiced long days with her weapon and she was thinking that that she was getting decent at her attack and defense; her response earned her a scoff.

"I don't think so Princess. I don't want to have to save you from their crew; you can stay on the ship and watch for anything out of the ordinary."

"I will not just stay on the ship!" Did they think so little of her that they thought of her as a burden? She was not helpless, and she refused to be viewed as such. She stood up trying to look as intimidating as possible but it just caused Lucas to smirk.

"What are you going to do about it?" She didn't allow a muscle to move on her face to show that he didn't scare her, she was used to his scare tactics by now.

"I'm going to show you how I'm not helpless and I can fully take care of myself. Rematch."

"Name the day." He wasn't going to be intimidated by a pretty brunette that stood half a head shorter than him, especially around his new friends, so he accepted

"How about right now?" She watched as the edges of his eyes widened in shock and the smile spread knowing that she had him right where she wanted him; on his toes. The two managed to draw the crowd of the crew as Lucas took out his sword and started to swing it around prepared for the battle that was about to begin.

"Last chance to come to your senses," he teased hoping that she would gain enough reason to back out so he wouldn't have to humiliate her. He didn't want her to gain the notion that she could go and fight these battles when she didn't have nearly enough training to stand on. But when she requested with her big brown eyes for a rematch, who was he to say no? She always seemed to have ability to make him do some things even if it was out of the norm. Riley merely smiled at him and held up her sword as the two began to circle.

"Not a chance." She took the time to examine her territory and made a mental list of things that she could use to her advantage. All the time other things that Samuel had taught her were coming to memory, and playing to her strength.

Lucas on the other hand was starting to feel body started to sweat at how determined that she looked. There was something about the way that she stood that told him that there was something different about the way that her feet placement and the way she held her sword. It was the first thing that tipped him off that he might be in trouble.

At the sound of the first clash of metal Riley felt her heart stop. He let his arms give way as her sword slid down his. She stayed focused and slid her feet back and twisted to the side to let gravity to assist her; the move caused Lucas to stumble forward ever so slightly. His eyes narrowed as the two began the dance again with a strike to her right side. She let out a gasp as she just barely blocked it, the thought of Lucas hurting her during the sword fight had never even entered her brain. But with the moves being as precise as they were, all it would really take it is one slip up between the two of them and the doctor on board would have to be involved. It was more probable that it would be Lucas that would slip up not knowing her strength. If she didn't succeed here then she might very well stuck on the boat when all the action was on shore, she was an asset after all. Who was to say that they didn't want to have something happen to the Governor's daughter and pay the consequences? Riley just knew she wouldn't wish her Father's wrath on anyone, especially someone she cared for. She gathered her thoughts and banished them as she let her focus fall on the task in front of her; there was no way that she would win if she let her thoughts distract her. What she did have to her advantage was the fact that she was smaller and could move swifter than the blonde, but if she didn't start making more offensive moves then she would let Lucas dictate this fight.

"We could just call it a draw and you could give up Princess?" He teased as she blocked a blow from above. They pushed off each other and Riley twirled out holding her sword straight just as Samuel had taught her.

"In your dreams," it was important that she keep her confidence standing tall even she wasn't all sure she would be able to win, your opponent could smell fear she was told. Her eyes glanced around trying to see if there was anything that she could use. She saw one of the rickety boards that she had noticed in her time that most would avoid because the nail had been removed and it could cause someone to stumble. At the sight her lips twisted up in a smirk knowing exactly what she had to do, but it would only succeed if she timed it exactly right.

Her movements forced him into that area, his eyes were on her and she was watching their movements, when most of his weight was shifted on the front foot she jumped on the wood causing him to stumble back and his heels hit a step up on the ship causing his sword to fly out of his hand in surprise and his back to hit the floor. She ran up and held her sword to his throat and grinned. She had won, she had used all the skills that she had learned and used it to win the fight against a well-versed swordsman. There was no way that they would force her to stay on the boat now; she may have even gained respect from not only Lucas but also from some of Maya's men.

There were multiple emotions flooding his system in the moment when he found himself on the floor, humiliation of being beat in a sword fight by someone so novice, but he oddly found himself attracted to her as she stood over him. She had spoken truth that she had trained, and by the level of skill that she used in the fight, she must have practiced long hours with Samuel. He wished that he would have known because then he would have given her a couple lessons, instead of the pirate that he was growing to dislike day after day. He didn't even have a solid reason not to like him, except a feeling that he got whenever he was around.

"I want you to say it." The knife edging into his throat jolted him out of his own thoughts remembering the situation that he was currently in.

"Say what?" He croaked feeling the discomfort of the blade.

"That I'm not helpless." This would have been an ideal time to use his charm to get out of the situation that he was in, but Riley saw through his smoldering expression. He held up his hands in surrender.

"You're not-as helpless as I thought you were." Even if it wasn't exactly what she desired, she deemed it well enough to move her blade. She offered a hand to help him up from the ground and when he stood, he found that their bodies were way too close to one another's. His eyes searched hers for a mere second, and then glanced down to her lips before he found that he tore himself away.

"Keep practicing," he muttered and headed below deck leaving Riley to wonder what had just happened.

* * *

Farkle didn't know what he was thinking go down below to visit her again. Their last encounter didn't go as well as he anticipated. And now he had the pressure of having her in his responsibility, if he couldn't produce a tear for the Captain he didn't know what would happen, he would probably pay dearly for it. She wasn't singing this time, which made Farkle more nervous. Their eyes locked and Farkle continue to walk forward, he knew that if they were ever to create any kind of relationship between that he would have to treat her with kindness, respect and persistence. She didn't seem as hostile as the other times he had visited, and without a word he pulled up a stool and sat down next to her. The curiosity got the better of him and his eyes drifted towards her body. He was fascinated with everything about her. Her tail would move in such a way that would propel her through the water, what he would give to be able to study their world and see exactly how it would work. He had so many questions, if only she would cooperate and see that he was on her side.

"I have so many questions," he admitted sheepishly figuring that the best policy would be honesty, but she seemed less than impressed with his curiosity. Farkle was determined to break the barrier between them, his eyes lit up as he had an idea.

"I don't know exactly how it feels to be ripped away my home, but I do know how it feels to grow up without a parent. My mother died while she had me, and even though it wasn't my fault I know that it pains my father when he looks at me." Farkle had taken this job in attempts to make him happy before everything fell apart and he got kidnapped.

"Anyway, I just came down to tell you that I've convinced the Captain not to tell you sell you in the market. I'm making good of my promise, you're safe for now." He stood up and headed to the door before she heard him cry out, "Farkle."

He turned so fast it almost caused him to lose balance. She just said his name. The information seemed to capture her attention; she was sitting up to the best of her ability and looking intently at him.

"You know my name?" He raced toward her and placed his hand on the glass, she just smiled and nodded. She was more aware than he had originally thought.

"What do your people call you?" She shrugged back still a little hesitant of his interest in her, he was a human after all.

"I only ask because I want to associate such a beautiful creature with a name, if I never learn your name I might lose my mind." He didn't mean the words to spill out, but it almost felt like a natural confession. How many sailors got the opportunity to see a mermaid and live let alone communicate with one. Her eyes glanced down briefly before she answered.

"My sister calls me Isadora," He sat down in the seat partly in shock. He repeated her name to himself committing it to memory. He couldn't believe she had begun to open up with him and hoped the next steps where she would see that her perceptions of humans were wrong and would start asking questions to which he could return. There was just something about her world that he wanted to know everything about her.

Any chance of Farkle asking questioning her further was halted to a stopped when he watched her body froze as two sailors waltzed down the stairs.  
"Get the fish to talk yet?" The crew mate taunted causing Farkle's fist to curl in anger. He didn't know anything about Isadora, so what right did he have to call her a fish when that wasn't even her species. The started to grab either side and move the mermaid causing her to screech in fright.  
"What are you doing?" Farkle shouted even though the two men were physically stronger than that. When both eyes snapped to him and he felt a lump growing in his throat. "She stays."  
"Not according to Captain orders," one of them scoffed. Farkle's anger grew at the response, he had talked to Maya a couple days ago, and she had assured him that Isadora was put in his care. Now these two were coming down and carrying the mermaid off to who knows where, frightening her in the process possibly undoing all the process that he had made with her.

"I talk to her a couple days ago, she said that she was in my care."

"I would suggest you talk to her again." The menacing tone would normally cause him to back off, but just the look of terror as Isadora placed her hand on the glass. The crew mates nodded towards the stairs and they headed up despite the cry from the Mermaid. The veins in his body started to show, his eyes narrowed towards the stairs where they had just disappeared. He was sure that Isadora calling his name as they took her away would haunt his dreams for the days to come. His eyes narrowed, he needed to have a talk with Maya.

* * *

Farkle burst through the door the with every intention to give the Captain a piece of his mind. She had promised him a couple days ago, and now she was preparing to take Isadora on the ground and bring her into a situation where her life would be in danger.

"We had a deal," Maya seemed unfazed by whatever the genius had to say. She didn't even look up from the map on her desk. Farkle slammed his fists on the table with anger.

"Two sailors just came down and took Isadora she was screaming when they carried her away. Where are they taking her?"

"You know her name?" Her eyes widened capturing her full attention, she stepped around her desk. "You were able to communicate with them. What did they say?"

"Just her name until your men scared her half to death. Now where are they taking her?" Even though he was supposed to answer the Captain's questions he was more concerned with the mermaid's safety.

"They are bringing her ashore, as insurance." He feared what kind of insurance that she would become when they were crossing one of the most feared pirates among the seas.

"That wasn't the deal." He snapped in irritation.

"Well the deal changed." Maya grabbed his shirt and thrusted him towards her, their eyes locked and he had seen her eyes half glazed over. "Josh is somewhere on that island, and I'm willing to do everything in my power to get him back. If that means that I can take Isadora as a bargaining chip, I will take her. You know, I would have men walk the plank for what you did to me." She pushed him back as regaining her composure.  
"I suggest that you remember who is in charge here Farkle, and don't forget it." She returned to the map not glancing in his direction.  
"You can accompany her and protect her if you see it fit. You're dismissed." Farkle's hands were still curled into fists but he didn't have much choice so he left her office. He headed down to his bed and pulled out a sword that one of the swords that he was given and adjusted it around his waist. He was left with no choice to head into a trap and now he would go just to keep Isadora from being harmed. He didn't know why he was so protective of her, it was just a gut wrench feeling that he needed to protect her. He heard the call to that land was up ahead as his thoughts drifted back to mermaid and how scared she must be, all he knew is if anyone hurt her there would be hell to pay.

* * *

The ship sailed through the dark waters and Riley was suddenly thankful for the night's presence that allowed them not to be seen. Once Maya had found out Josh's potential location they had set sail and didn't look back once. She was wondering if she was like all the time when Josh was missing, but she didn't dare ask anyone else. Her stomach was in knots and she didn't know what frightened her more, seeing her long-lost brother again, the fact that Lucas hadn't talked to her since she had beaten him during their duel or that Maya didn't go over any plan to extract Josh, so it almost felt like they were going in blind. They didn't know how many pirates were awaiting them; it was essentially a prison for everyone that blank saw of value to keep alive. Riley's mind began to create new images of ways that he would torture his captives until they were no use and then he would dispose of them; the fact that Josh could still be alive was a good thing, right?

"Riley?" Her thoughts had to be put on hold as her eyes flickered over to the warm face of Farkle.

"Are you alright?" She tried to push down any fear or doubt that they would make it out alive, that weren't the best thing to dwell on right before storming an island.

"I'm fine," a forced smile held her lips in the upright position, but it didn't seem like it was fooling her friend. She caved, but instead of opening her thoughts on a platter she chose the one that would discourage her least.

"What if Josh doesn't like me or even recognize me? He was kidnapped years ago; he did not come back when he got free of them. He had enough time to sail around to a position of a Pirate Captain."

"I'm sure he had his reasons, before you hang him out on the gallows, at least let him tell you himself." The words brought her an eerie calm, Farkle was right; she might be worrying for nothing. Everything would be up in the air until she finally talked to her brother.

"It's time." Maya's voice cut the conversation short, but inside Riley felt a sense of relief about not delving into the other topics that were plaguing her.

Almost as if on cue Riley looked up at the exact moment when Lucas emerged from below deck and their eyes instantly connected. She didn't know whether it was a concern that even across a deck his gaze could still render her weak kneed.

In the instant that she was standing over him with her sword to his throat at first, she felt an abundance of joy that she put her skills to the test and come out victorious, but then when his soul was bare in front of her through his green pupils she felt an ounce of guilt. He had been training with the sword all through his life and here she was, able to beat him in a duel after just a couple weeks of diligent practice. Just like the first duel they hadn't spoken much over the past couple days and she was almost sure that he was ignoring her, to which she could hardly blame him because she did the same. The one thing that she didn't want was for either of them to go into a fight and having their argument stuck in their head and it cause some sort of injury. She paced herself so she ended up close to the blonde, but when he didn't even so much glance in her direction she reached out and grabbed his arm forcing him to face her.

"Lucas, can you just talk to me?" His green eyes bore into her own, his body language was still stiff; not prime fighting condition.

"Look, I'm sorry that I won that fight and hurt your ego, but I just wanted to prove that I could handle my own. I don't need you to save me all the time; I can take care of myself." Not a muscle moved on his body, his lips seemed to be edged into a permanent frown. She wished more than anything that she could read what he was thinking; it would make things easier between them, but fate hadn't provided her that gift.

"Of course, you can, I've always believed you could," his words would have meant more if it wasn't paired with the emotionless voice, she knew that he was just saying it so she would drop the subject. She knew that in the moment it was pointless for her to try and talk to him about this, there was not much she could do, but she did try her best.

"Well I guess I want to wish you luck out there and be safe." The words wavered and as a last-minute decision she leaned in and planted a kiss on Lucas's cheek before her own burst with color. To avoid regretting her decision she ran ahead not looking behind her. If she had maybe she would have witnessed the frown dropped from Lucas's face only to be replaced by one of confusion as his hand touched his cheek where her lips once were.

* * *

 **A.N.- Cute Rucas fluff and next chapter well start rescuing Josh. I'm going to try and update by next Tuesday, but if the chapters get longer it might be harder. Till next time.**


	14. Chapter 14 The Snare of Greed

**AN- Thank you for your support, sorry I haven't been on my normal updating schedule. Life is been super crazy an the chapters have been growing in words and there's less time. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter just as much.**

* * *

Lucas couldn't help but want to get off the boat to catch up the brunette to discuss what just happened. His cheek still tingled from the contact. He knew that he had to focus otherwise he would be likely to make a mistake in battle, but when he got off the boat his feet slowed at the sight before him. Samuel was helping Riley pass over a small gap with one hand holding a hand and the other resting on her back for support. His blood began to boil as jealousy started to take over. He didn't know what overtook him but he knew that he needed to do. As he walked closer he was only fueled more by the sound of Riley's laugh.

"Samuel," his arm grabbed his arm putting a halt in his forward momentum. Even though his eyes were matching the blondes, he could still feel the stare coming from his company.

"I need to talk to you." There were probably a thousand better timing to this scenario, but he knew if he didn't address it that he would find his mind wander even more making him more of a target.

"Lucas?" Riley's eyebrows crinkled in slight confusion; apparently, he wasn't the only one to question his motives for the conversation.

"Alone," he stressed as his eyes flickered over to Riley for a second. If she were to be bare wittiness to their conversation, his ears tinted at the thought. Riley's mouth opened to protest, but Samuel intervened.

"Riley, why don't you catch up to Farkle, I'm sure Lucas doesn't want you to hear this." Riley's brown eyes shifted from an embarrassed Lucas to a smirking Samuel.

"If you both wish it," Her usual tone was replaced with a less than thrilled pushing past the two. Lucas let out a sigh watching her leave, now he would have to talk to her for peace of mind that she was ok, but she would ask what Samuel and he discussed, and he wasn't sure he was ready to answer just yet.

"Why did you"-

"You wanted to talk alone and I obliged, should I tell Riley why you didn't want her present?" Lucas's grip tightened wishing nothing more than to release his aggression in slugging Samuel in the face.

"That's not what I wanted to talk about"-

"Oh, it wasn't?" Samuel drew out his words knowing the buttons that he was pushing. "My apology then," Lucas found he didn't appreciate the feign apology just as much as Samuel's attempts to "help". Truth be told, the main reason why he wanted to talk was about Riley, but not wanting to be caught in a lie he had to think on his feet.

"I just wanted to know what the plan was," his lie didn't sound believable but was grateful when Samuel bought his lie.

"We go in, find Josh, and destroy anyone who gets in our way." The plan sounded easy enough but he had his reservations.

"But what if this is a trap? I mean surely the Captain would have considered that."-

"But if we succeed, then we would be a band of brothers who will live forever. Especially if we find any treasure here." Lucas would never call Samuel his brother, but he did feel that close to some of the men on ship. It naturally occurred with all the time sent together on the ship. If they did find treasure located somewhere on the island it would make his life easier, maybe he wouldn't live from job to job.

"And I think it's best if you were to stay clear of Riley while we're here." What he failed to say subtly he made up in the death glare that he was sending toward the other blonde.

"Ah so it is about Riley." He replied in almost a sing song tone. He wasn't a fool, he had watched the two interact on the boat and knew that feelings had developed on Lucas's side, he had caught him looking at her multiple times and then when he realized he was caught he would look away.

"No, I just think Riley would focus better if you weren't around." He reasoned how illogical the sentence was as soon as the words left his mouth, but it was too late to take them back; he had to stand his ground.

"But you would be right by her side?" He quipped liking being able to see Lucas squirm in his line of questioning.

"Only if fighting dictated it." He answered even though he was sure that it would, he would make sure of it.

"Lucas, are you willing to die for her?"

"Yes," he replied without a second thought. Samuel put his hand on his shoulder in admiration.

"I'm sure her Father would be proud, you would be carrying out your job. Then she would return home and you would be just a heroic story and the rest of us," he dragged out the words as he removed his hand and adjusted his sword. "would just carry on live out our lives." His words seemed to draw out an uncomfortable shift in his stomach. It didn't change his answer, he would still give his life for her, he already had proven that with the previous times he had put himself in harm's way.

"Now, if you excuse me, as much as I find taking orders from you fascinating, I think I'm needed elsewhere."

He didn't take his eyes from Samuel as he strolled forward without a care in the world. There was no way that he didn't realize Lucas's feelings for Riley, and he was sure that was going to haunt him in the future. He hadn't meant for the feelings to emerge from their time together, but even more he wasn't expecting for anyone to find out about it; it was a reality he had to live with. His eyes traveled down to ground trying to keep his mind on anywhere but the brunette, but that didn't prepare him for what happened next. He was caught off guard when out of nowhere he was pushed against the nearby cave wall. He was never supposed to put himself in a situation where he could be taken advantage of, but the brunette that he was trying to avoid, did just that. His eyes lit up as her brown eyes searched his with almost a silent anger. He could get why what Samuel said upset her, but why was she taking it out on him. Her body was close to his which wasn't helping his thinking process; he was suddenly realize why it wasn't smiled on to have a woman on board the ship.

"What is your problem?" She hissed in frustration. She was tired of getting to a point with him only to slid back three steps. But whatever his trust issue was with her didn't mean that he could be hostile towards Samuel when he was completely innocent.

"You can ignore me all you want, but I draw the line when you are picking on my friends." His heart sunk, she had a thought that he had a problem with her? He wanted to correct her and tell her everything, but the words that he wanted to communicate to her seem to stick in his throat. He wished that he could just tell her everything but it wasn't the time or the place, instead he would work on figuring out to tame the situation currently.

"I'm not trying to avoid you." She stepped back releasing him being pinned against the rock wall and tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Then why didn't you want me to hear your conversation?" It suddenly felt like the clothes that were loose before became skin tight. The best option was to avoid the question and hope that she didn't press further.

"That was Samuel's idea, I just know that there was tension between us and I wanted to clear the air." The half-truth slipped out with ease, he just forgot to mention that most of the tension revolved around the brunette standing in front of him. Riley crossed her arms in front of her as one eyebrow rose.

"It didn't look like you two resolved anything from where I was standing." She called his bluff and there wasn't much that he could say to appease her.

"I just don't trust him Riley," he knew that the two had bonded on the ship, but he felt that their connection was stronger, surely, she could see right through his smugness.

"Samuel is a good guy Lucas, Maya and her entire crew could have killed us the instant they took over our ship. He taught me to fight. You're wrong about him. Now maybe you can't see the good in them because of your past experiences with pirates, but they are on our side."

"All I know is that you told me that I should always trust my gut, and it's saying that it has a bad feeling about him." If this was how she reacted when she protected someone she barely knew then she couldn't even imagine what she would be like defending her love ones, not that he would be put in that category.

"I refused to believe that." She was known back home for seeing the good in people and she extended that courtesy to everyone she met included pirates like Samuel.

"I wanted you to stay on the ship," he muttered under his breath in frustration. If something did go down between and he was stuck in the crosshairs he wanted her to be far from danger. Hanging around Samuel was the furthest place she should be. Unfortunately for the blonde he didn't mumble it quietly enough that Riley couldn't hear, and his words made her anger boil over.

"After everything that happened you still doesn't believe that I can take care of myself, do you? I guess that wouldn't play along with your notion to rescue me."

"That's not it," he had once again managed to say the wrong thing this time it would take lot more convincing.

"Then what is it?" His mouth opened once and then closed when he realized what he had to confess to her. She didn't give him a chance to speak as his silence proved more than anything else could.

"Well if you excuse me, I'm going to go be around people who believe in me." He couldn't do anything as he watched the girl that he had feelings for race off towards the man he had grown to despise, the worst part? It was all his fault.

Lucas found his gaze shifted back to the brunette ever couple minutes to reassure himself that she would be ok. He didn't know what was causing his stomach to churn the way it was, it could be his thoughts running away with him about Samuel, his fight with Riley over the matter, or simply the fact that he felt completely over his head before. He was just a bounty hunter for the longest time; it was what he knew; dealing with pirates was another level. Despite being able to fend for herself he knew that one false move and the pirates wouldn't hesitate to kill her. Maybe that's why he couldn't muster up an ounce of trust for Samuel; he was a pirate. Deep down he knew that that couldn't be the only reason because he trusted Maya with at least his life, she could have killed him multiple opportunities and chose not to. He had watched the friendship between Maya and Riley grow with each passing day, usually when he didn't know where the brunette had wandered off in the ship she was in the cabin either talking to Maya or reading one of her books.

The group came upon a fork in the path, each one lead into a dark tunnel of some kind. Lucas hated the idea of splitting up, but he knew that it was necessary in order to cover their basis. If one tunnel met with a dead end then they could always backtrack.

"We should split up." He wasn't used to the leadership position, but it wasn't like anyone else had any better suggestions. He was expecting for the blonde Captain to bark at him for taking command but she just nodded.

"But Captain, don't you think there is strength in numbers?" Samuel walked up wanting to challenge the plan. His eyes locked for the bounty hunter as a smug smile fell on his lips. "You know for safety reasons. We don't know what's out there." Lucas felt his blood start to boil at the suggestion; he wanted to get as far away from the pirate as possible.

"No one knows that we are here," he countered returning the stare. Maya's head turned between the two watching the two battle it out silently for alpha male position. She didn't necessarily feel all that threatened, they knew that she was the real leader and the crew would follow her every command.

"Lucas, you go off to the right, take Phillip and"- her lips curved up into wicked smile," and Samuel." Both boys went to object but then realized who they were talking to, so they resided to their fate. The two boys glanced at each other in disdain both fully aware of the distrust between them.

"If something goes wrong the safety point is the ship."

* * *

The tunnels seemed to go on forever Lucas had decided, or maybe it was just the company that was with him. Things were still very tense between him and Samuel and he didn't know much about Phillip, they haven't talked much on the ship. He just wanted to get this over with and get back to the ship and sail away from this isle. The Tunnel opened to a slightly larger cavern that both sides had given way water just a couple feet below. Lucas licked his lips aware of how thirsty he had become, but as he grew closer he noticed it wasn't just water, but there was something scattered over the bottom.

"Is that?" He stepped closer to get a better look.

"Gold," Samuel answered for him. "We just found the Midas pool."

"What's that?" Phillip asked joining Lucas at his side.

"Legend has it that there Midas was a king of great fortune. He had everything a king could wish for. He lived in luxury in a great castle. He shared his life of abundance with his beautiful daughter. Even though he was very rich, Midas thought that his greatest happiness was provided by gold. His used to spend his days counting his golden coins. Money grew to be his obsession. One day, Dionyssus, the god of wine and revelry, passed through the kingdom of Midas. One of his companions, a satyr named Silenus, got delayed along the way. Silenus got tired and decided to take a nap in the famous rose gardens surrounding the palace of king Midas. There, he was found by the king, who recognized him instantly and invited him to spend a few days at his palace. After that, Midas took him to Dionyssus. The god of celebration, very grateful to Midas for his kindness, promised Midas to satisfy any wish of him. Midas though for a while and then he said: I hope that everything I touch becomes gold. Dionyssus warned the king to think well about his wish, but Midas was positive. Dionyssus could do nothing else and promised the king that from that following day everything he touched would turn into gold." Lucas could have sworn that he had heard such a tale, maybe a story that his mother told him when he was young or maybe around the market." Samuel started his tale, Lucas and Phillip leaned forward captivated.

"The next day, Midas, woke up eager to see if his wish would become true. He extended his arm touching a small table that immediately turned into gold. He sat at the table to have breakfast and took a rose between his hands to smell its fragrance. When he touched it, the rose became gold. Without even thinking, he ate a grape but it also turned into gold! The same happened with a slice of bread and a glass of water. Suddenly, he started to sense fear. Tears filled his eyes and that moment, his beloved daughter entered the room. When Midas hugged her, she turned into a golden statue! Despaired and fearful, he raised his arms and prayed to Dionyssus to take this curse from him."

Lucas's eyes wandered towards all the treasure below, the story settling under his skin. He couldn't imagine the pain that the king must have endured by knowing that his daughter was gold and there was nothing he could do about it, just hearing the tale made him wonder how the story ended.

"Did they grant him his wish?" Blank asked, and Lucas was glad he wasn't the only one wondering.

"No, heartbroken and guilt filled that his daughter would never be turned back to her normal self he instructed some of his servants to sail her away. From there his ship was attacked and it was thought that she was lost until she was found here." He grabbed blank's sword and held it over the water. He dipped just the tip beneath the waters and the trio watched the gold trickle upward slowly engulfing the sword until he dropped it in fear that it wouldn't stop once it had reached the hilt.

"It says that she lays in the depths of it and anything that touches the water gets turned into the very thing that destroyed King Midas's life."

The words started to fade the longer his green orbs focused on the water below. There must of have been a fortune down there and it was all within his reach. Maybe if he gained a fortune then he would have the respect from the people around him and he would be considered a fine suitor for any girl, maybe even a Governor's daughter? He hadn't been able to get the brunette off his mind since he almost kissed her the night she tried to run away. There was no way that if she did return that she would be able to choose someone like him compared to a person with a great upbringing and wealth so they would be able to support her. He hesitated for a second and slowly found his hand inching its way towards the water.

Then something caught the corner of his eye, it was Phillip who was leaning out so most of his body was leaning over the water reaching for a sword that was just barely sticking out of the water. Lucas watched all thoughts of the treasure underneath the water faded to be replaced with concern. One false move and he would topple into water and turn to gold himself.

"Stop," he raised his voice to try and gain his attention, but his warning was ignored.

"I can reach it." Phillip argued back as his fingertips barely brushed the sword. Lucas's eyes drifted down to the arch that he was leaning from, he was getting closer to the edge.

"Stop," he wasn't going fall into the water and he was blatantly ignoring that possibility. His eyes were solely focused on the solid gold sword that would be worth a fortune. Everything happened too fast for Lucas to even react, he stood up and didn't get a foot before blank's foothold gave way and he was too overextended to stop himself from falling into the water below. Lucas wanted to tear his eyes away but he found that he couldn't as he watched gold creep up Phillip's body until he too was solid gold. Lucas found his legs give way, he had tried to warn him, but he wouldn't believe him or maybe he was too focused on what the gold could offer him, either way they were down a good man.

The death of his fellow crew mate was a tragedy, but there was nothing he could do but press forward. They were down to two so his senses had kicked into overdrive. The tunnels lead into a series of shallow holding cells. His path had led him into an entrance of a jail.

"It looks like we found a prison Samuel," when he didn't get a response he spun around to see that it was just him.

"Samuel?" called out and grew silent just waiting for a response. An eerie feeling started to crawl over his skin. Something or someone was in the surrounding area, he could feel a pair of eyes on him. He turned back to the series of halls as his hand reached out and touched the cold metal. Why would they hold prisoners here? His body froze, what if they were keeping Josh in here? He would be able to free him and be considered a hero. Right before he could take another step, he received a blow on the back of his head sending him to the ground out cold. He didn't even have a chance to yell for help.

* * *

The terrain proved to be more difficult to carry the extra weight of the mermaid in the cage. Farkle glanced at her every now and then to check on her safety; he didn't trust the pirates carrying her, but in this case, he had no choice. The one thing he disliked more than bringing Isadora along was the fact that they were using her as bait. He wondered when the time came, was there anything that he would be able to do to stop her from getting hurt or was this a lost cause. Her eyes locked on with his and she offered him a small smile which he returned, some of his favorite times in the day was when they able to communicate with her. Every conversation he learned something new about where she lived or behaved, it captured the scientist side of him.

Everything happened in a single moment, and Farkle found that there was nothing he could do to stop the events that occurred. One of the crew that was carrying the mermaid tripped over a rock that was on the path and caused him to stumble forward throwing off the balance causing the glass to shatter against the ground. Smackle's breath was erratic as she was gasping for air and want for the water from her cage that was being soaked into the dry ground. That water was her lifeline, just like a fish that needs water; mermaids were very similar in nature. Farkle's eyes widened when he watched her start to transformed, he had always wondered what happened when mermaids went without water. Her tail started to fade away into her skin to reveal a pair of legs. Isadora immediately used her arms to hide her body against sailor's wandering lustful eyes due to her naked form. Farkle acted fast and pulled off his shirt and rushed over to draped it over her shoulders to provide her the cover that she needed. His fingers lingered there for a second with the burning sensation between the fabric; matters only got worse when her eyes look up as she pulled the shirt closer around her body.

"Can she walk?" Maya's voice interrupted the moment that the two were having. Isadora moved her legs and used as much strength as her body could muster and attempted to stand, but just like a baby foul after one step she stumbled to the ground.

An unquestionable silence fell on the group as everyone turned to Maya to see what would happen. She couldn't be just left there, if anyone found her there was no telling what they would do. It almost pained the genius to see her like this; she was so vulnerable with just the shirt covering her. He had tried to look away when he realized what happened to her, but it only took a second to realize that image would be burned into his mind. Farkle knelt and ran his hand to push her hair behind her ear causing her body to shutter.

"Can you walk?" The question was tender and almost loving with the mutual respect that had grown over the days that they had spent together. She shook her head in response.

"My legs are too weak," He knew the next question to ask once they had a moment alone together. The fact that she had the ability to turn human at all was another mystery to add to his list.

"Don't worry," he whispered in his ear, "I won't let anything happen to you." One of his hands slid behind her back as the other scooped under her knees. As a reflex, she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest as he stood to his feet. His eyes glanced over to the blonde and nodded slightly as if to say he was ready to carry on. The smallest smile appeared on her lips and a secret conversation occurred using just their gaze.

"Alright men, let's continue on." Maya lead her men through the catacomb tunnels in front of her until one of the tunnels led into a room that was massive. There was water that laced the edge of the room no doubt that would be part of a natural spring. Also present in the room was a throne adorned with treasure surrounding the base. There was no one in sight except a figure slumped over, looking almost like an animal tied up to be slaughtered. Her breaths became shallow when she realized that it was a person and they had dark hair. She dared to let her heart wish in that moment.

"Josh," she felt her heart jump up to her throat as she saw Josh chained up to the floor. She bolted off in his direction afraid that this was just another trick of the eyes or a dream that she would awake from in a cold sweat; her mind had played with this memory over the last year, she didn't know if she could bare it. When she was a couple feet away her legs gave out and her body crashed into his. He was real. Her hands started to roam his torso just to confirm that he was there. She wanted to cry or say sorry for ever letting him out of her sight.

"Maya?" His voice was hoarse at best and shaded with disbelief.

"Yes Josh, I'm here." Her hands pushed back the hair that was in his face and their eyes connected. She smiled, but the light from his eyes faded.

"Maya, why did you come? You weren't supposed to be here." Her eyebrows squinted together in confusion, did he doubt that she would try and find them? She had crossed oceans just to find him and he just wanted her to forget about his existence?

"Run." He used all of his remaining strength to push the blonde away which was arguably the hardest thing that he had to do in his life. She eyes swam in the ocean of his; she wouldn't understand why he was acting like this.

"I'm not leaving you Josh." She had to stand her ground; she would never forgive herself if she just left him there. Josh grabbed her wrist making her gasp in surprise.

"As your Captain I am ordering you to get on the ship and sail away and forget all about this island." She instantly felt like a little girl under the glare that he flashed her, but she knew that if she did as he ordered that she would be condemning him to his death.

"You know I can't do that." Tears started to weld in her eyes and a silent conversation started to transpire between the two. He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze for support; she couldn't leave him because she loved him.

"You have to; I can't see you get hurt." Confusion flooded her system again, hurt? Why would she get hurt, it wasn't like anyone was aware of their presence on the island.

"Why would I"-

"Aye, you should have listened to your Captain there miss." The deep rumbling voice caused her skin to crawl agonizingly down her back. Her eyes jumped up to the gray ones of Captain Hawkins. There was a scar that ran the length right through his eye no doubt from a sword fight he had once encountered. He was tall, but his body was built out that would be to his advantage when facing an opponent. Her gaze started to drift around the once what was thought an open room to see that their men outnumbered her own by at least double. Josh had been trying to warn her, and she let her emotions take the best of her; the cost was leading her crew head first into a trap.

* * *

 **A.N.- Things are heating up on the island. For those of you reading both stories, I'm going to try and have White Houses ready by Thursday, but if not I will update as soon as I possibly can. It's just a crazy time in my life, but I'll keep writing. Side note, I did alter Midas's story, so if you want to know the real ending, feel free to look it up :) Let me know what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15 Dead Men Walking

**A.N.- So sorry, I was trying to update as soon as I can. I hope you all are enjoying this story as much I am writing it. I won't keep you from reading. There might be a typo or two, I wanted to update this before going to work, so please excuse that.**

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Maya's eyes jumped to any possible form of escape, but all of them were blocked. Even if they weren't, Josh was still chained to the floor and without the key or heavy equipment they would have to leave him there which wasn't something that she was willing to do. Her brain started wrapping around ideas to save her crew, but she needed more time. This was her fault that she led her crew straight into a trap, if she had just listened to Josh instead of her heart, but now it was her responsibility to get them out. She felt all the eyes from her crew on her waiting for a word to signal to fight. Some of their men were better fighters, but they were so outnumbered, it didn't seem to do a thing. She gripped her weapon, they had to at least attempt to fight otherwise they would be dead men walking. She drew her sword to protect herself as the men slowly started to advance towards her.

It wasn't clear who took the first swing, but the in a blink of an eye there was a battle cry as one group attacked Maya's crew. Most of them had to take on more than just one opponent, the battle started to seem hopeless, but it was the first time that Riley got to see Maya in action. She was fearless when she took up three at once making them look like her puppets. Metal clashed against while Josh tried to stay out of the way; there wasn't much he could do, he was still chained to the floor. He did help Maya when she shoved a pirate towards him and he managed to trip him with his body. Josh threw her a smile which she eagerly returned gripping her sword tighter. He was the one who had taught her out to fight in the first place. Quickly his face faded as he watched someone rush her.

"Maya, watch out!" Just in time she adjusted her sword and stabbed the intruder. She turned to the rugged dark haired brunette with now someone laid dead at his feet and winked in his direction before continuing her battle, but not before picking up his sword becoming an even bigger threat to deal with. She was starting to regret listening to Lucas and letting them split up, she could have used all the men that she could here, but there was still the hope if they got captured that she could reply on the three of them could come to their rescue, but she had to consider all possibilities including they were already captured or dead. She allowed herself to glance in Riley's direction, if they did meet an untimely fate she wasn't sure how she would cope, she had watched the two of them dance around each other on the ship. She and Lucas had come to an arrangement in case something happened, she only hoped that she could honor it if the time came.

Riley tried not to let her thoughts wander, but it was hard to stay focused with so many questions buzzing through her head. She wondered how they managed to get to this position, and if she would even be able to hold one conversation with her brother if they made it out alive. Was Lucas and Samuel facing such odds in their journey? As much as she tried not to think about the blonde, her thoughts lead her there often. If they reached similar company they wouldn't stand a chance no matter how skilled both gentlemen were.

She was still mad from her interactions with Lucas earlier, but she could shake a gut feeling that something had happened, she just hoped that she was wrong and he had figure out the tunnels with ease. She could even imagine him smirking with pride at watching her fight like she did when she beat him back on the ship. She decided that if the two of them made it out of this mess that she would insist that they sit down and talk, maybe she would confess the lingering feelings that she couldn't deny anymore; having a life or death situation reorganized her priorities.

At the sound of a sword dropping to the ground ceased all fighting. The weapon in question belonged to Maya who was instantly terrified at the picture of Hawkins gripping a knife to Josh's neck. He was trying to squirm, but that only scrapped the skin allowing a blood to surface.

"Wouldn't it be a shame if something happened to your Captain, wouldn't it, dearie?" She didn't know what to do, she knew that she wouldn't be able to handle the sight of Josh being slaughtered in front of her. She pushed down any sign of fear down her throat.

"Why would I care if anything happened to him?" In response, he started to slide his knife opening more skin, Josh grunted, and Maya took a step forward her bluff called and she folded.

"No," His lips tucked upward knowing that he had her.

"I can give you the map." It was her first bargaining chip. She knew that Josh had stolen it from them years ago when he went missing.

"Maya, no." Josh's blue eyes connected to hers and she felt her knees go weak, but she needed to be strong, her crew needed a Captain more than they needed a treasure.

"We're going to take that regardless when we burn down your ship," Maya didn't flinch when his spit landed on her face.

"You can take me instead, if you leave my crew alone." It was the right decision at the time, but Josh started to struggle as much as he could in protest.

"No!" This time he voiced louder, he knew exactly what Captain Hawkins was capable of, and he wouldn't allow Maya to put herself in that scenario. The Captain's gray eyes shifted between the two gaining more knowledge simply by watching them then he ever got out of his torture sessions from Josh over the past years.

"Or what if I could give you something worth more than treasure?" One brow raised, at what she could possible provide him worth more than treasure. Her eyes wandered the room till they landed on Isadora. Maya found herself circling the Captain, for once having the upper hand.

"What would they say about the Captain who had a mermaid under their command?" She knew that she had the initial hook that was needed to at least peak his interest not to end their lives.

"The stories that they would say about you," If she knew anything it was that flattery was able to get her far when it came to dealing with pirates; they liked the idea of having other tell stories for many years to come.

He eyed Isadora in some skeptic of her promise, but if there was any truth to the deal then he would make him one of the most powerful Captains on the open seas.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Maya wanted to take back the words, but if it was a matter of her crew's life then she would be willing to give up the creature.

"Just put her in water, she'll turn back to her original form." Isadora hide behind Farkle worried what this would mean for her. She already didn't like the way the Captain was looking at her, there were plenty of stories of Captain Hawkins and the rage he unleashed on anyone he crossed his path on the seas. She had just begun to not fear for her life aboard Maya's ship and that was largely due to Farkle, but now it sounded like she was going to be ripped away from everything she knew again and never get home. She was always told not trust humans, and now she knew why.  
"I won't let you take her!" he yelled out over the Maya's attempts at persuasion. He couldn't believe that this was happening and she was going against her word to keep Isadora safe. What happened to leaving her under his command, or was that just because it was convenient to keep him under control at the time. Maya seemed to ignore his outburst and kept flattering Hawkins. As an attempt to get some attention and for him to be taken seriously Farkle drew his sword and pushed Isadora behind him, the only way they would get her is if they went through him. He felt her hand rest on his free arm and it provided him with the courage that was slowly draining from his body. He wanted to be the hero, to protect her, and be there for her in any way possible.  
"Take her." Hawkins's pirates stepped forward and Farkle's grip grew tighter, when the presence of his sword didn't deter them he attacked. It didn't take long to realize that he was over his head, he didn't have nearly enough experience in the sword to face their attacks. One minor mistake lead to the metal slicing through his skin on his side. He stumbled back a couple steps as he placed his hand on the wound, when it lifted it was covered in sticky blood. His vulnerability led to another attack. He lowered himself to the ground when he felt dizziness impairing his vision. He watched them reach for Isadora and there was nothing he could do. He should have used the time on the ship wisely but, now it was too late. He was losing too much blood, and if he didn't get help soon, he would pass out and be in trouble.  
"No," Isadora cried as she huddled over his body. She didn't know enough about the human body to help, all she knew was there was blood, too much blood. It invaded any cracks in her hands. She rested her hand on the wound to try and stop the bleeding, but the initial wound proved to be too much.

"I'll go with you." With his remaining strength, she felt Farkle grasp her hand, but she tried to ignore the disapproval coming from him.

"If you let me heal him," maybe she just didn't want to see him die in her arms, but now it was said she couldn't take it back.

"Isadora, don't." It was easy to tell that his breathing was becoming labored. Her fingers went up to brush his face, and words were exchanged with a simple look; I can't lose you. She broke the contact only to direct her attention to her captor who simply nodded. She dragged his body as her body entered a very shallow pool of water trading her legs for a fin. She rested her head against his whispering words of comfort before she turned to the injury. A single tear started to roll down her cheek that she caught with her finger before gently applying it the flesh. He winced as the magic started to take effect, but after a couple minutes the pain faded away. His eyes fully opened as the shock started to kick in.

"Stay still," she ordered and he tried his best to obey.

"Alright take her," the Captain Hawkins growled lowly and she was pulled from the water her skin shifting back to her human form. She cried out as their grip tightened pulling the two apart.

Despite the healing power that she had used to save his life, his body was still almost limp. He tried to force himself to pick up his sword and follow her, but he knew that he wasn't strong enough to win so instead he just had to lie on the ground.

"So, do we have a deal?" Maya's face was made of stone, if she showed any form of weakness he would use it against her. His body loomed over her and she was wishing that she was taller so she was more intimidating.

"Actually, Captain; the deal has changed." Her arms were suddenly restrained and she realized that she was being double crossed. He leaned in and she took the opportunity to spit in his face. There was a moment where everyone held his face and then there was a sound of a hand hitting flesh. Maya didn't move even though her cheek was throbbing, but she couldn't even nurse the wound.

"Tie them all up, we'll deal with her first," he pointed to Isadora. "Then we'll kill the lot of them." Despite Maya's struggle her hands and feet were bound and she was thrown on the floor next to Josh as the pirates disappeared out of sight.

* * *

This interaction with the pirates seemed very similar to the first-time Riley decided. However, she was less confident of the chances of getting out the mess by mere talk. Once Maya had surrendered, it didn't take long for all of them to be tied up and left there as their attention turned to the mermaid that they took away.

Riley found that she couldn't take her eyes off Josh, just like Maya, she couldn't believe that her brother was less than ten feet. It looked like his time had taken his toll on his body, she couldn't imagine all the things that he had to endure over the last year. She couldn't wait to get out of this situation and be able to talk to him and find out the answers that she desperately needed.

"Maya, you got a plan, right?" She whispered softly so the guards wouldn't overhear.

"I'll figure something out." The promise brought some hope for brunette but that wasn't enough for her brother.

"I told you that you should have run." Josh butted into the conversation bitterness seeping through his voice.

"I wasn't going to leave you." Her head attempted to look at him, but with their backs touching she couldn't see his face. "Besides it wouldn't have done any good, we were already surrounded by the time I made it to you."

"I gave you orders to forget about me, and you couldn't just follow those orders."

"You know why I couldn't do that." The silence spread among them not wanting the guard to overhear any information.

"I'm...sorry." He let out a sigh his pinky reaching out grasp what little of her hand that he could grab.

Maya's eyes jumped to Farkle who even a person who had just escaped death he looked like he had already passed over to the other side. He had tried so hard to save her, but by doing so he exposed that she was his weakness; it was only a matter of time before he stopped putting up a fight.

"Farkle, we'll save her." It didn't take a genius to figure out what was on his mind, but he didn't seem all that impressed with her promise.

"Don't speak to me."

"How dare you"-

"It's ok," Maya assured them quickly defending his actions. She knew how much he was had put on the line even to the point of defying her multiple times. She wasn't thinking when she offered the mermaid; it was just the first thing that came to her mind that would be more valuable than a long-held grudge. She should have known better, it was a move that cost her more than she realized at the time.

"We will not leave this island without her." The words were bold, she wasn't even sure that they would be able to escape with their lives, but if they did, her oath was out there.

"If she's even still alive," he muttered. Her face that was full of fear was still engrained in his mind. She could have just let him die, but she gave up one of her most precious gifts just to save him and he couldn't even return the favor. He had trusted Maya, and she had betrayed him by using Isadora as her pawn in the situation. If she vowed that they wouldn't leave the island without her then he would make sure that Maya would keep her word if it was the last thing he did.

Maya's eyes watched the guards at their post; they seemed to be fixated on the door confident that their prisoners could not escape. They needed to get out of here quickly or everyone else who was on the ship would be lost as well. She needed a plan, if she could get free then she would be able to knock out the guards create a distraction, free the mermaid and then get to the ship and sail off as fast as they could. It was the only plan that her mind could end with the most people possible surviving. She allowed her hand to slip up her sleeve and grab a dagger that she managed to swipe as they were distracted with securing the ropes. Getting out of the ropes was never the issue, but now was the time to act and she would have to figure out the rest of the plan on the fly. The dagger started to work on her ropes without drawing attention to herself, and when her hands were free she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Josh," she whispered.

"What Maya?" He snapped towards her in frustration of the situation. His answer was in a response slipping her hand in her coat pocket and place the key to his cuffs into his palm. His eyes widened as he took advantage of the tool to start to free his bonds as well.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" She couldn't see his face but she still could hear the smirk on his face.

"Someone very close to me always told me to have a surprise up my sleeve." Once the two were free, they snuck around to some of the other building an army big enough to knock out the guards.

* * *

When Lucas finally came around his head was still throbbing. He let out a groan and his hand rose to the back of head to feel half dried blood crusted to his skull. Whatever was used to knock him out was heavy, but what caused him to grow unconscious in the first place was the fact that it caught him off guard.

Samuel.

He didn't know if Samuel was behind the attack or if he fell victim just like he did, but either way he was nowhere to be seen. As he tried to stand up he stumbled forward trying to regain his center of gravity, and a nearby crate offered him support. If it wasn't there he might have fallen flat on his face once more. He was still regaining his strength, he knew that he would need it.

There was line of cells on either side which just added another question that was whizzing through his mind. Why would a pirate Captain need to take this many prisoner, he could see why some people would be more valuable alive then dead, but it was almost like this was a prison for the worst of their enemies that they wanted to suffer the most painful death. Most of the cells were empty and it only brought his thoughts to dwell of what had happened to their previous visitors? It seemed like a lot of upkeep to go through to torture people.

When his feet could move and function properly, he made his way forward. Some cages were empty while the others had someone roll over in the corner. They looked malnourished as they wasted away what years they had remaining in their short lives. His eyes drifted above the cells to an inscription that was carved in the stone. His hand grazed the lettering, it was not in English, but it looked familiar. There wasn't much light being feed into the room, but once his eyes fully adjusted he could barely make out the words a cohores fratres viventem in aeternum. His eyes narrowed as he tried to think of why the phrase sounded so familiar, but the sound broke his concentration. He thought he heard someone coming in his direction and he crouched as low and close to the bars as he possibly could. His hand reached for the blade, but it seemed liked whoever attacked him had also stolen his sword. He was left weaponless, but if he could surprise anyone who came this way, he would still have the element of surprise. The footprints grew louder only to fade once more, with the way the caverns set up the way they were it was almost impossible to tell where they were headed or if their owner was a friend or foe. There was another sound that his ears picked up that had him more curious; the sound of soft crying. He had to tune his ears just to pick it up, but it could have been his body playing tricks on him.

The louder the sound got the quicker he found that he walked. The crying didn't sound like it came from a man, but rather a woman which concerned him greatly. Why would they keep any respectable lady in a jail like this? When he reached the destination, he found a woman hunched over her hand held her face and all the tears that she produced.

"Hello?" He wasn't used to playing the hero in the scenario for anyone but Riley, but he just had a gut feeling like he needed to step in. She hastily backed away in fear encased her body thinking that he was another one of them.

"It's alright I'm not going to hurt you." He reached out his hand to try and reassure her. The words were enough to lure her closer as she stood up.

"It can't be," she muttered under her breath in disbelief. Her hand started to reach out to caress his face, Lucas had the option to pull away, but there was something memorable about the lady in front of him.

"It's been so long," Lucas was certain that he couldn't recall a time where they had met, maybe they had crossed paths in the past at a market.

"Have we met before?" She let out the sounds of a small laughter as their eyes connected.

"Have you forgotten me already? I guess it has been some time since you saw me last, but you haven't aged." She smiled as both hands braced his face. "I'm sure I look much different now, but a Mother would always remember her son."

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 **A/N.- So if you haven't guessed, I love leaving you all on cliffhangers. lol. I bet you all have so many questions, but you'll have to wait to get them answered. Let me know what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16 Escape from Hawkins's Isle

**A.N.-I feel like I had to apologize again for being delayed. I hope this chapter makes up for it. I wanted to thank you all for your continuous support.**

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 **"It's been so long," Lucas was certain that he couldn't recall a time where they had met, maybe they had crossed paths in the past at a market.**

 **"Have we met before?" She let out the sounds of a small laughter as their eyes connected.**

 **"Have you forgotten me already? I guess it has been some time since you saw me last, but you haven't aged." She smiled as both hands braced his face. "I'm sure I look much different now, but a Mother would always remember her son."**

"What?" There were many thoughts running through the young Lucas Friar, but the idea that he would see his mother alive again was overpowering everything. She did look familiar, but it had been almost seven years since she was attacked in the marketplace. Not to mention the sleepless nights that he spent trying to suppress the screams that he heard in his nightmares. He had thought her dead, he felt so foolish; he just took a word from a family friend. He did investigate, but not as much as he should have. If he had maybe he would have realized the truth, and been able to do something, anything to help her.

"But they told me that you were dead," He shook his head gentle side to side still trying to process the information.

She gripped the sides of his face tighter as the edges of her fingertips slid upward into his hair. He had grown so handsome over the years, she never imagined that she would see him again, but fate had something different in mind. Their eyes connected for what seemed like hours, but there weren't words exchanged. Lucas was the first to break eye contact before he broke down, tears started streaming down his face the weight of reality sunk in.

"What happened?" They rested their foreheads against each other's as well as they could through the bars. It was suddenly more important that he needed answers for what happened that day. Through his mother's supposed death, he hadn't gotten the closure that he needed causing him to spiral into a mixture of acting out and depression. It was the reason that had ultimately lead to the desire for his profession.

She smiled back at him with a soft sad smile her thumb caressed his cheeks once more before pulling back hands falling naturally to her side. She remembered that day like it was yesterday.

 _It was just another day in the market and she would have never imagined everything that was about to unfold. She was inspecting the eggs to take home to her family when she noticed a dark hair boy lurking by some buildings trying not to stand out. At first, she tried not to stare, because it was not polite, but she felt herself keep glancing over in his direction. He looked as old as her own son, he should be at his apprenticeship, not here._

 _She finished paying for the items that she was purchasing, and when she turned she still felt a pair of eyes on her. Before she could say anything to him a disruption erupted from the other side of the marketplace. Mass chaos spread as the pirates came in and started flipping tables and people started screaming in panic. The boy's feet remained still his eyes widened with terror. She didn't know what possessed her, but she ran towards him and tugged on his arm. At first, she met resistance, but after it seemed a pirate noticed her gesture. She grabbed his arm and forced the two into a run down some of the alleyways in attempts to lose him. She jerked him into a tight stone hall and ducted into a doorway._

" _Don't breathe." Her hand covered his mouth as she felt she held in her own air to make sure that their position wouldn't be compromised. She peaked around the corner before pushed him towards the opposite direction, but instead he turned back to her._

" _Go, quickly, before they find you." The dark-haired boy tilted his head slightly as his blue eyes filled with questions._

" _Why did you help me?" They had never met before, and whether she was aware in the moment, she had put herself in mortal danger. "I've done"- He stopped himself eyes falling to the ground in part shame. Mrs. Friar smiled placing her hands on either side of his arms and offered a supportive smile._

" _Never mind what you've done, focus on where you're going. You seem like a smart young lad, hate to see all of that go to waste." They exchanged smiles quickly one moment only to press their bodies against the door the next when more people ran by._

" _You need to go, now," she urged._

" _Not till you answer my question, if not I'll go mad." If she were honest with herself, she didn't know the reason why she was drawn to save him. It was her first instinct, she had just thought what if it was Lucas, and everything else fell into place._

" _You just remind me a lot of my son." She finally answered which was enough to appease the teen. He nodded and took off in the direction opposite of the intruders._

 _Now would be the hard part, giving the boy enough of a window that there was no way that he would be followed. She cautiously peaked her head out from the alleyway to see not one soul. However, when she stepped out the second she let out a breath she felt the cold metal of a dagger held against her throat._

" _Where's the boy," He asked huskily in her ear while the smell of alcohol wafted by her nose. She choice to remain silent which only aggravated her capture._

" _He stole something from us." She closed her eyes before using all her force to jam her foot down on his followed by her elbow jabbing into his gut. As he tried to double over she managed to pick up the dropped weapon before running as fast as her legs would carry her. She kept her eyes focused on where the walls faded into the open courtyard, but more of them appeared causing her to trip over her own feet forcing her to the ground. The pirate pulled out his sword his intentions clear; this would be her last stand._

" _I invoke the right of parlay," she blurted out. If she was supposed to die, it wouldn't be in a place where her son might stumble upon her body. Her request seemed to startle them especially the one with his sword on display. He raised his sword regardless of her words and she closed her eyes expecting the worst. She only hoped that Lucas would grow up to be the man that she knew he was capable of. The moment never came and when she opened her eyes she saw someone else had stopped the blow._

" _She wants to speak with the Captain." His smirk grew, and suddenly she felt terrified, but she wouldn't take back her choice. She stood to feet and followed with as much dignity as she possessed, followed them to the ship._

Even with the knowledge of the story he wasn't sure at how many questions that she had answered. In fact, he was sure he had more questions now than before he found her.

"I still don't understand," he uttered casting his eyes to the floor. Just because she invoked the right of parlay didn't answer the question of how did she end up here? It wasn't like his mother was all that dangerous and he couldn't imagine that she held some deep secret that would prove value to Captain Hawkins.

"Lucas, you have to get on the ship and sail away, I can't have you be here. He can't find out about you." Her hands reached through the bars and rested on either side of her shoulders, while the eyes started to cloud her eyes.

"Mom," he choked out. Now that he knew that she was alive there was no way that he could force himself on that ship let alone sail off in it and forget about his own mother. He had just found her, he wasn't ready to let her go so easily, not when she was so close. "I can't leave you. what if I can convince him to let you go " Their eyes locked and her lip's edges fell into a frown.

"You don't know him like I do Lucas, you don't understand what he's capable of. I can't lose you." Lucas appreciated the sediment, but he couldn't do what she was asking. He had to at least try to bargain for her life. He would just need to sneak on the ship and grab the leverage that was needed.

"I have a plan, you just need to trust me." They stared into each other's eyes and when she realized that there was nothing that she could say to change his mind, she simply nodded.

* * *

She only took her eyes off them for a second, maybe her mind was on Lucas and concern that she hadn't seen him over the last hours, but when she looked forward; she found out she was now wandering alone. She couldn't yell, because she was alone and if it drew the attention of multiple pirates she wouldn't be able to fend herself off. Instead she was forced to wander the cave tunnels in hopes that she would be reunited with her brother and the blonde pirate.  
The cave led into a room that opened up, but this was different that some of the other rooms, it was a room that was intended for torture. She saw chains hanging from the wall, blood stained the walls behind, she could almost hear the stone cry out for help as she pushed past it. The sight made a shutter crawl painfully up her spine. She couldn't fathom how Josh survived a year in this place, if it was her, she would have cracked from the beginning despite her best efforts.

"Riley?" Her eyes searched the room till her eyes landed on the sandy blonde hair of Samuel. Her heart started to race as she ran towards him and embraced him in a quick hug. She was almost sure that something had happened to them as well.

"Samuel, what are you doing here, where's Lucas?" Her eyes re-scanned the room only to come up empty.

"He went ahead to keep watch." Riley let out a small sigh of relief, glad that they didn't meet the same fate.

"We found were they kept Josh, he and Maya are wandering around the tunnels, but now we can all head to the ship." She was just happy that she found a friendly face, but she couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem as excited as she did.

"Come on, we should join Lucas," she brushed past him towards the other archway.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to stay in one place too long, it would give Captain Hawkins's time to set up another ambush," the words flowed nonchalantly out of his mouth as he reached for her arm, but she batted his hand away.

"How did you know that this was Hawkins's island, or that the crew fell into an ambush? You weren't even there," her voice faded as she watched as a wicked smirk played his lips.

"You're smart for a woman, I should have killed you in that storm when I had the chance, if only wonder boy hadn't stepped in." Riley took one step back, but that was all her body allowed now terrified. It was Samuel who wanted her dead? She shook her head in disbelief. "You know how long that munity took in order gather? 7 months, and you had to go and tell the Captain. No matter; I'm sure Johnathan is quite content on his island if he hasn't died yet."

"No," it killed her to think that they had left the wrong man on the island, and it was all her fault. She uttered as she took another step back as he grew ever closer to her. Behind her were the maze of tunnels that she wasn't sure that she would be able to navigate successfully, and in front of her was an exit being blocked by someone that she had considered a friend, his weapon fully drawn to attack if she dared to make a run for it. She was trapped.

"It's a shame that Lucas couldn't join us, he never trusted me from the start. Luckily for me, you never believed him."

* * *

Farkle deemed that it must have been a higher power or dumb luck that they were able to stumble upon the section where they were keeping Isadora. The caves were so winding and had twists and turns he wouldn't be surprised if someone died getting lost in the caves. Maya had supplied him with more men than he needed for the rescue, something that would start with paying out the debt she owed him for going back on her word. All the pirates in the room which seemed like 6 or 7 along with the Captain, were preoccupied with the mermaid didn't notice a few men sneak in and hide behind a rock structure. One of the first things that Farkle noticed was that there were many tunnels leading into the room, which would come in handy when it was time to escape. His whole body tensed when he heard Isadora crying out in pain, it took every ounce of control in his body not to move in too early. They were torturing her, she needed him.

"Not yet," they needed to wait for the right time, they would be no good to her dead. Captain Hawkins growled in frustration at the lack of mermaid's tear. She was less than willing to produce the tear on her own, but her stunning display of affection toward that one sailor was the key.

"Go grab the one that she's attached to," he was going to get his tear, even if he had to run the knife down the skin and gut the boy. One of his men left the room despite the desperate cries from the dark-haired beauty.

Farkle's knuckles grew white as his first grew tighter. They just needed a couple more men to disappear to guarantee their escape. After a couple minutes the same pirate returned this time and running, and out of breath.

"Sir, you really need to follow me, they escaped." The Captain grunted out in anger.

"We'll deal with the mermaid later, spread out and find them. I want the blonde's head. She is the key to making their Captain crack." The room of 8 narrowed down to one guard that was ordered to stay and guard her. Farkle nodded towards her as they emerged from the rock that kept them hidden. They managed to knock out the one guard leaving them free and clear to rescue Isadora. Farkle was worried for the men that were waiting in one of the tunnels, but it hopefully they could overcome whomever crossed their path.

"Isadora!" He rushed to his side, but the sight at the condition that she was in was almost enough to make his stomach churn. There were visible bruises and sections of her tail that were bleeding.

"Farkle?" She reached for him out of instinct.

He knew that they had to act quickly, it wouldn't be long before they ventured back in here and realized that they had rescued her. He scooped Isadora into arms and turned around to meet the eyes of the crew men. The looked to him for direction since he was the reason they were on this trip in the first place.

"Back to the ship," he ordered and they obliged. He could faintly hear Isadora crying out his name into his newly tear soaked shirt. "I'm here Isadora," he cooed gently.

She reached her arms to rest behind his neck to help support herself, but her arms gave way a little. They had spent at least an hour poking, prodding and trying to obtain as many tears as they could. It was hard to believe that nightmare was over, it was exactly what her people were warned about when it came to the humans. Ruthless, selfish, and not caring who would die to get what they desired, but Farkle was different. He had saved her time after time since her capture, without anything in expectation in return. She smiled a bittersweet smile at the thought when he did keep her promise to return to her people and how she would miss him. The idea made her cling to him harder as once again he carried her to safety.

* * *

"What did you do him?" She yelled yielding her sword towards the blonde. She hadn't seen Lucas had been gone for at least a couple hours and with the way he was talking the blonde could be dying in a cave somewhere bleeding to death. Her stomach turned at the thought of their last words that they exchanged. He was right about Samuel and she didn't listen, anything happened to him she would never forgive herself. A laughter escaped his lips that caused her skin to crawl.

"Oh, this is just too sweet, you feel for him." She gripped her sword tighter, but she couldn't let him get into her head. She knew that he was just trying to unhinge her, but for Lucas's sake as well as her own; she needed to keep her mind straight.

"Where is he?" She shouted again trying to sound as intimidating as possible.

"You could search for him as much as you'd like, but you still wouldn't find him in time," her body language gave away her position as his hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

"Are you sure you want to do that Riley?" He drawled out her name lazily knowing that he had full control over the situation and of the brunette.

"You're sick," she cried out, if she would have noticed the warning signs, maybe she wouldn't have found herself in this predicament. She couldn't take the way he was taunting her with only his eyes that she let her emotions overwhelm her into attacking.

She had lunged forward without being mindful of her surroundings allowing Samuel to have the advantage easily dodging her attack. All the advice that he had taught her was not presently residing in her mind.

He clicked his tongue in disappointed mocking watching her stumble forward.

"Doesn't seem you gained much knowledge from when I taught you, or did you forget the fundamentals already." She knew that he was getting under her skin, but at this point she couldn't even clear her mind to focus. She staged another attack raising her sword high to attack his left arm and was met with his sword slicing her side. One of her knees gave way as her free hand slid over the wound to prevent more blood from oozing out.

* * *

"Josh, what's the plan," she didn't want to admit how good those words felt rolling off her tongue, despite their horrendous situation, they were in it together. Josh was always the one to be more clear-minded when it came to such matters. Maya knew the rules, but she wasn't leaving without Riley, so here they were trying to find her. They couldn't simply call out her name, it would draw attention to them too soon. The other half of the team no doubt had reclaimed Smackle upholding her promise, and headed to the ship by now; but she hated how they had to split in two to accomplish both missions.

"I'll let you know," he whispered back not sure of what they could do, they had to save as many people to the ship and make a run for the ship. His mind hadn't stopped spinning since the return of his first mate. She was supposed to lead the ship and forget all about him, he should have known that she was too stubborn to follow his orders. And now he had the complication of his younger sister was now in harm's way. His first emotion was a rage and confusion of how Riley managed to make her way on his ship in the first place. If any pirate would be able to make the connection between them they would be able torture him through torturing her.

He had thought about returning home many times, several times where he made course towards the island. There was one point where he had gotten to the marketplace where he was first kidnapped when he was a boy, and then he remembered the choices that he made. With stilling this map, it created him into a huge moving target, he wouldn't be the reason that people that he loved would be injured or even killed. So, he turned himself around; on his way back to the ship, he ran into Maya, and she had been by his side ever since.

His body tumbling forward caused him to push such memories on the back burner. He groaned and grabbed his arm that had taken the brunt of the fall. Maya held the torch higher to reveal that they weren't in just a hallway but rather a decent sized room filled with a variety of weapons.

"Wow," escaped his lips as he released a whistle.

"Josh," Maya uttered her eyes perked up her focus shifted from the contents in front of them. She could have sworn that she heard Riley, that was their main mission followed closely by retreating to the ship. She leaned in and put her ear against the wall to hear Riley screech out in pain. The heart inside of her skipped while the adrenaline starting racing through her.

"Josh, we have to do something, Riley's hurt." How could they be in a room full of weapons and yet feel so helpless. They separated looking for something that could aid them, which turned fruitless until Maya pulled a cover off some boxes in the corner.

"Josh," His eyes jumped up to hers and a coy smile grew on her lips she pointed to several barrels of gunpowder. Without any more words the two jumped to a plan that might be crazy enough to work.

* * *

The explosion left a deafening ringing in her ears as the blast shoved her body violently to the ground. Even when she managed to open her eyes everything was blurred and objects such as the cavern walls were shaking. Samuel was somewhere across the room not currently moving but she wasn't so sure that the explosion claimed his life. Her body pushed up from the ground, but her arms weren't strong enough to hold her weight and she crashed back down. The brunette's hand made it to the pounding being emitted by the back of her head; when she removed her hand, it was covered with the warm slightly sticky sight of blood, but she didn't have the energy to realize what was happening. Riley's gaze shifted towards the site of the blast to see blobs of people standing on the newly laid rubble. Her eyes picked up sounds of people shouting but they were drowned out by the pounding of her head and the high pitch ringing. Her body was lifted off the ground, but she wasn't sure of how. The slits in her eyes peaked open to reveal that it was her brother who had saved her. Her head came to rest on his chest doing her best to hold on, because if he kept up the speed that he was she was sure she would grow ill. It wasn't till she saw the ship did she understand what was occurring; they were making their getaway.

Her insides started to scream, but the protests never left her lips. She knew that it was a mistake to leave Samuel there, she wanted him to pay for what he did; he deceived her. Lucas was right the whole time and she didn't listen to him; she just thought that he was jealous.

Lucas.

The one person that she didn't see on board the ship, but it could have been from the crowd that swarmed them when her brother brought her aboard.

"Lucas," she mumbled incoherently. A hand was brought to her head that felt ice cold, or maybe it was because her body's temperature was considerably high.

"Shh Riley," Maya cooed trying to keep the brunette calm. She didn't know how everyone got out of the island safely, it was almost too much so. "Set sail quickly," she ordered to a crew mate nearby.

Riley's eyes slowly grew too heavy to remain open as sleep was calling her name.

* * *

 **A.N.- So they managed to escape! This story is far from over, I still have some tricks up my sleeves. Let me know what you think! Going to be working hard to make sure you don't wait too long on White Houses. Till next time.**


	17. Chapter 17 Author's Note

**Hi everyone!**

 **So, I'm not dead. My muses had gotten in a rut, and I'm finally getting out. They are finally back, and hoping to update by Saturday, and I hope this chapter will be worth the wait. Thank you for being all patient and being the best readers ever.**


	18. Chapter 18 Tidal Current

**A.N.- So, I realize this is a couple days late and I Apologize. I am posting it now verses the end of the day. There might be a few typos, ( I edited in a hurry). I will fix all that when I get home from work. I hope you enjoy this chapter and it was worth the wait.**

* * *

Riley's eyes burst open as breath spread through her body startling her awake. Her hand went to her head and she wasn't sure if it was the room spinning or just all in her mind. Her gaze went around the room trying to put together what happened, the last thing she remembered was the island and the explosion and then everything went blank. How did she get back on the ship? Her hands clamped down on the side of the table that she was lying on, as her breathes became shallow.

"You really shouldn't be sitting up!" The doctor exclaimed as her rushed through the door and used his hand to push her down. She heard footsteps enter the room and she saw a Maya and Josh entered with concern plastered on both of their faces.

"Riley, I'm so glad you are ok."

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?" A flash of hesitation flashed over Maya's face as her lips were being held captive by her teeth. She knew that she had done the right thing, everyone knew the risks going into the island, but she had to think of the best for the crew. She had decided when Riley was still unconscious that she would wait as long as possible before telling her, but knowing the brunette, she would put the pieces together fast.

"There was an explosion; you were losing blood so we took you back the ship." There was a moment where she feared that Riley wouldn't make it. It had been a day where she watched Riley toss and turn on the table; she would make sure that someone was there to watch over her.

"Oh," her shoulders slumped back as the memory replayed within her mind. She swung her legs over the side of the table and when she hit the floor that's when she felt gravity's full weight. When everyone in the room rushed towards her to help stabilize her, but stopped when she held out her hands out to stop them.

"I don't need help." She shifted her foot in front of her almost sure that her legs were made from lead, but that just increased her determination. She bit her lip as all her focus shifted to her feet. After a couple steps her smile beamed being able to recover so quickly. All thoughts quickly were quieted as suddenly hit with another wave of pain due to her body collapsing to the floor. The discomfort spread through her body causing a groan to escape her lips. She shouldn't have hit the ground; she knew that she was clumsy, but ever since she was around the blonde, he seemed to always be around to catch her. Her mind surged with a memory right before she passed out, she was asking for Lucas.

Lucas.

He wasn't in the room, maybe he wasn't aware that she was awake, if he knew; he would be there, right? Riley had to control her anxiousness to stop herself from jumping up and exploring every inch of the ship. Strong arms pulled her off the floor and continue to support her afraid that she might fall again.

"Where is-" The blonde didn't need her Riley to finish the sentence to know what the brunette was saying.

"Riley- he's not here." A blank slate settled in as her mind tried to process the news. What did she mean that he wasn't there?

"What do you mean," her stomach turned at the many different scenarios that raced through her head. Her first thought that she was kidding, but that was quickly dismissed which brought her mind to start spiraling down.

"Is he- is he?" Riley couldn't bring herself to get out the words, Lucas couldn't die, she saw him yesterday. Life was cruel on many occasions, but she still hoping that she was proven wrong over again.

"No," those words brought more relief than anyone would know.

"Where is he then?" Her eyes jumped from the blonde to her brother back to Maya, their pause gave her reason to worry. It wasn't till Riley received the answer she craved that she realized why.

"He got left behind." Even though the words themselves were basic in the English language, Riley was having trouble grasping what was just said.

"What do you mean, he got left behind?" She braced any pain she felt and walked forward until she was almost toe to toe with the blonde.

"Riley, I'm so sorry." Maya reached out to offer her support, but Riley turned and started to pace ignoring the pounding of her head.

"Well that's ok," her face lit up with an idea. "We could regroup, and sail in the dead of night and- and-" She couldn't decide which look she hated more, one of the blank slate or the other where they viewed her as an injured animal.

"What's the plan Maya, you always have a plan." Maya had had a plan through everything that they had faced, this couldn't be different. Their silence didn't bring her much confidence in any rescue plan.

"Maya, we can't just do nothing." The Captain would know that better than anyone, it was her that was searching for Josh for over a year, using all the time and resources that life provided her, just so she could see him once more.

"Yes, we can," It seemed that all the begging met with the stone wall that was Maya Hart. Riley ignored the sinking feeling of her heart in her chest; it was quiet but was slowly replaced with a certain kind of rage.

"But Maya"- Riley looked to the others for support, but they just diverted from her.

"We barely made it out of there with our lives, and now you want to go back?" Every time she closed her eyes even just to rest, she had visions of bodies that were injured at her feet.

"We could go back and sneak in and"- Her words started to fail, when she realized that she didn't really have a plan.

"I'm not risking the rest of my crew for the few who got left behind. With no plan, they might as well be dead." Dead. Those words rung in her ears no matter how much she begged it not to. An image of Lucas dead was boiled into her mind and it splintered cracks in her heart.

"Maya, can I talk to you... alone." Riley felt so helpless watching the only two people that could help her were leaving and she could do nothing to stop them.

* * *

Farkle didn't know why he was so nervous, he hadn't seen Isadora since they had gotten back to the boat. Part of reason was he wanted to provide her time to rest and heal, and she wouldn't be able to do that with him sitting next to her. As much as he tried to block out the images that he witnessed at their time on the island was burned into his mind. The guilt was almost overwhelming, he should have protected her better and she wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place.

He found his feet had wandered back to the door leading down to where she was being kept for the fourth time that day alone, he knew it was time that he went and at least checked to make sure she was recovering.

The moment he started to descend the stairs his ears started to pick up the sounds of a sad song, very much like one of early days with her. He ignored the voices in his head trying to convince him that he was the cause of the song, which was reason enough to run; but he stayed the course. Once he reached the bottom of the steps he saw Isadora in a dress that he remembered Riley wore once or twice before. She was running the brush through her raven locks slowly not noticing the intruder. Even though their songs were supposed to lure sailors to their death, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the creature making the haunting melody; Isadora looked so different in her human form, it was easy to forget what she was.

"Farkle," her singing stopped and he instantly wished she would just continue to grace the air with her voice. Her eyes widened as a lump formed in her throat. "I didn't notice you standing there," the brush was put down quickly before she turned her attention towards the genius.

His eyes skimmed every inch of exposed skin with no bruises or scraps to be found. If he didn't know the torture that she endured he might have thought that he was crazy and made the whole thing up in a twisted nightmare.

"You're-" His fingertips reached out giving into the urge to feel the touch of her cold skin against his hand.

"I'm fine Farkle," she nervously reached to brush her hair behind her ear. "I was more concerned that you would never want to see me again."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you haven't even looked at me since-. I thought you might hate me"- her eyes connected with his only to realize that the island was painful to talk about than she initially thought.

"I could never hate you Isadora." Farkle reached out right hand and cupped the side of her face.

"I want to show you something." Her voice brought him out of his trance and made his eyebrows dip in confusion.

"Just don't freak out," she said.

She leaned in until her lips pressed against his. It didn't occur at first, but then a rush of memories flooded his mind, only they weren't his; they were hers.

It was all a blur, there were images in Farkle's mind that he couldn't fathom it all. He was witnessing memories from Isadora's past at a lightning pace he wasn't sure how his eyes kept up with all the sights and sounds. The laughter from some mermaids passing by with the ever-quiet sound of the waves crashing thousands of feet from above. There were both mermaids, and mermen, but they seemed to have different responsibility and jobs. The water was cool against his skin; almost as if he were in the water with her. There were buildings that represented their homes laid across the floor. He witnessed a group of huntresses swim out to either attack a ship that was encroaching on their territory or another threat no doubt. This was all new information that no sailor had ever gained about the haunting creatures, and she trusted him enough to show him. When she finally released his lips all the pictures faded back to the ship and Isadore who was standing in front on her.

"Wow," the ship paled in comparison to their living quarters now.

"I just thought, you might like to see more about my people."

"Thank you so much for trusting me with this." Little did they know how much stronger their bond had become because of that single moment.

* * *

"Josh, what is this all about?" Maya followed the boy like she was a lost puppy. She would admit that she had gotten used to calling the shots as the leader, but with Josh back, she must yield to him. His hands were folded in front of him resting on his lips.

"Maya, we can't just leave them on that island." Her mouth dropped agape not believing what she was hearing. Surely, he didn't want to relive all the painful memories of being tortured on that island. Her eyes flickered over his skin counting ever scar that was left in the place. At first, she was just happy that she had found him, but every time she took the time and opportunity to look at him she found a new wound.

"You can't be serious." Her blue eyes linked with his until she couldn't find a single sense of joking in them; she forced her pools towards the ground.

"Josh," she reached out her arm till her fingertips gently brushed the back of his hand until they laced together. There was no way that he could not see how blank she was.

"If we go back, there's a chance that"-

"I live everyday with the blank that I might not die Maya, it doesn't scare me; to die would be an awfully big adventure." She pushed back holding back tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

"I hate it when you talk like that," His smile faltered at the words, but he knew that it came from a place of caring.

"Maya," He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body to his; she turned her hear to rest on his chest the sound of his heartbeat bringing her comfort.

"How long did you look for me?"

"A year," she didn't skip a beat. Josh had a way of reasoning her and bringing her clarity to any situation.

"You never stopped no matter the danger. You traveled through mermaid infested waters and even captured one, just to find me. So, if I was still on that island, would you come back to me." She often hated it when he was right, she knew a yes was tingling on her lips even then, but if she did, then he just proved his point. She would mountains for him, but not the crew that was sailing under her.

The night offered her the perfect cover with the darkness covering all the nooks and crannies of the boat. Everyone seemed much to occupied to noticed the brunette slip by the boats and started on the knots to lower the smaller vessel towards the wind-swept sea. She didn't know exactly what she was doing, simply because they had never had the need to use the lifeboats, but she didn't care; she needed to rescue Lucas. Surely, she would be outnumbered, but she had a glimpse of a plan and hoped that it would be enough to get as many of people out of there including Lucas as possible. All the anger that she had harbored towards the bounty hunter had vanished into the night air, and now she was simply hoping that she would go all the way to find his corpse.

"I need you to be alive," she muttered quietly to herself. Lucas had saved her countless times; she had to at least try. Her hands fumbled on a tightly wound knot that her little fingers had difficulty grasping.

"Come on," as if the rope would simply come undone by words alone.

"You're doing it wrong." Riley almost tripped over her own feet when her brother caught her off guard. She was supposed to be angry, but found that she couldn't when it came to her brother; he was family after all.

"I'm going to go rescue Lucas." There was only hope that she sounded as confident in herself as she supposed to, but despite her tone, her older brother seemed less than impressed.

"Not if you keep tying your knots like that," the nearby post provided a support for Josh to lean on. The comment only fueled her determination more, she knew what her chances were slim for survival, but in the moment; she didn't care. It was all her fault that Lucas was left on the island; they fought and then she let him go off with Samuel by himself. The guilt was starting to eat her alive

"I don't need your opinion, just step aside and let me go. How can you sit back and not be bothered by leaving all those men behind?" She had decided at that moment that she would never want to Captain a ship because she wasn't sure that she would be able to leave anyone behind.

"If we would have stayed behind more would have die, we made the right decision. All those men knew what they were they doing when they stepped on the beach."

"I can't just accept that." She said as she crawled into the boat and grabbed the rope to lower herself into the stormy sea.

"You're one to talk, this coming from the brother who had every opportunity to come back and didn't."

"I couldn't," his teeth gritted. "And I can't let you go back where you will die." He roughly grabbed the rope to hoist her back up to his eye level.

"That's not up to you." She raised her voice not caring if she drew attention from the other passengers.

"Why is it so important that you go back?" Josh's voice matched her passion and volume. Even though he was older and taller it didn't seem to daunt the brunette.

"Because I love him." Everything grew silent as she let out a sigh of almost relief like she had be holding the secret for years.

"I-I love him," her hand slid down the rope not believing the words that had escaped. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but somewhere between seeing him daily and all the near-death experiences she had fallen for him. If someone had told her this within the first week of knowing the boy, she probably would have laughed in their face, but now she couldn't imagine her life without him.

"I'm going Josh, and you can't stop me," she snapped back to her brother more determined than ever.

"I know." The two exchanged glances and a smirk grew on his face. "I'm quickly learning you're just as stubborn as I am.

"What," she shook head in confusion.

"We shifted course an hour ago, headed back to that God forsaken island to rescue my men." Riley's face lit up for a brief second to match the little skip that her heart made.

"Really? But what about Maya?" She knew that the two were on opposite sides for this dilemma.

"Let me handle Maya." He was met with a tight hug from his sister and let her head come to rest on his chest. The gesture caught the raven hair boy off guard, but he let out a small chuckle as he completed the hug by wrapping his arms around her. He had missed this, his family; but now the lines had blurred. His life on the sea was clashed with his personal, he didn't want to see his little sister hurt, he just hoped for her sake, that they weren't too late.

* * *

 **A.N.- Of course I have to go back for Lucas, don't you all trust me? Let me know how your thoughts on the chapter. You all are amazing! Going to start working on the next chapter right away.**


	19. Chapter 19 Not Dead: Author's Note

**Author's Note: So, I'm not Dead.**

 **I feel like a terrible writer for not updating, and I do offer an apology and explanation. I haven't forgotten about this story and didn't want you guys to think that. For the longest time (since the last update) I was just super busy and didn't have time to write, and just tonight (when I was actually getting somewhere) my computer decided to delete most of my work. Again, super frustrating, but I'm not giving up, and I hope you don't give up on me, but I understand if you do. I'm going to try and update sometime next week, so keep a look out for it!** **J**


	20. Chapter 20 The End of an Era

**A.n.- I'm back. Sorry I took so long. This was crazy especially since yesterday was my birthday! But I was determined to get this done. There might be some typos that I missed and for that I'm sorry. Hopefully this lives up to the hype. Only 4/5 chapters left.**

* * *

The salty air was the only thing providing comfort and peace of mind for the brunette. Sure, they were turning around to save the sailors, but she couldn't silence the thought that maybe they would be too late. She refused to let her last words to Lucas be what they were. She ran her hand down the rope as she used the wood to support her leaning out to get a better view. To think after a short period of time this ship had rapidly become her home, and now that Josh was rescued, what would happen then?

"Enjoying the night air?" Maya's voice shattered the silence, but Riley barely threw her a glance. She was still upset at their exchange from earlier; she wasn't a fan of people deciding what she should do, but it was worse when she knew she wasn't in the right. She lost sight of the guidance that she had received over the comfort in the thought of what would her beloved do. When Riley didn't answer, Maya knew she would have to try hard to mend their friendship.

"May I join you?" She scooted closer towards the brunette and watched her body stiffened.

"You're the Captain, you can do whatever pleases you." Maya cringed at her friend's words, but she couldn't blame her for her bitterness. She would have reacted worse if someone had suggested the same about leaving Josh.

"Actually," She ran her hand on the railing. "It's first mate now, but given the circumstances, I don't mind the demotion." As soon as Josh had returned, she stepped back giving the Captain title where it was rightfully deserved. The silence settled once more causing both girls to feel the uneasiness.

"Why did you do it?" The brunette snapped as she couldn't hold in the bitterness anymore. "Do your men so little to you?" It couldn't be taken back, no matter how much she wanted to. They probably made pirates walk the plank for talking to her like that.

"Riley, it was a tough decision"-

"No Maya, Josh wouldn't have hesitated to return for his men. You sacrificed all of them without even thought, if Josh was on the island, we would have gone back for him." The anger had festered for the last day and was boiling over, the words spilled out in a tangled mess.

"You're right." It was easy for the blonde to retaliate, but she knew that that she was right. If Josh was let on the island, nothing would have stopped her from going back. Riley was taken back but the forthcoming, she didn't know how to respond. Her body shrunk back as Maya took a seat next to Riley all the hostility was throw into the sea.

"I would have traveled off the edge of the world to find your brother. We were lucky to get out of island the first time, I was afraid." The blue eyes fell to the floor; their bond was undeniable, Maya had never opened up to someone like this. "I lost my way, but Josh has a way of guiding me back."

Riley glanced over at Maya for the first time since she entered her space. She was so used to see this confident Captain, but now beneath that seemed to be this broken girl with the insecurities. Riley reached out her hand and placed in on Maya's arm trying to comfort.

"You two are good for each other." Maya's lips lifted in the slightest smile at the words.

"It wasn't an easy decision you know, to not go back, I had promises that I had to keep." Curiosity got the better of the brunette as she tilted her head confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Before we even landed on the island, Lucas pulled me aside." The orbs that surrounded her chocolate pupil widened. This was new information to her, and her mind raced with all the possibilities that they could have talked about. Thankfully for her sanity, Maya didn't keep her waiting.

"I don't know how he knew that something would happen," Her hand landed on the wooden railing which captured her attention.

"He made me promise that if anything happened to him that I would swear on Josh that I wouldn't go after him and that my sole focus should be getting you home safely." She couldn't imagine Lucas getting that fired up that he would dare speak to the Captain in such a way. The wish to be a fly that could overhear that conversation was suddenly a desire that she couldn't ignore. Did he know that something would go terribly wrong; her stomach turned at the thought. No wonder he was nervous about her joining the men, in his mind he had already played out the worst scenario.

"Why would he do such a thing?" The brunette was in a state of disbelief. Maya's chuckle lightened the air around them.

"If you need to ask that, then you haven't aware of your surroundings." Maya stood from her seat sufficiently pleased with how their conversation took a turn for the better. "You'll be able to ask him for yourself in a couple hours." Riley found that as one question was answered, a thousand more questions popped up in her mind.

* * *

As the view of the island rose over the horizon, there was not a word muttered amongst the ship. All thoughts were preoccupied with the chance that this would be the end of their lives as they knew it. Some of Hawkins's crew was cut down during the last raid, but they seem to come out of the woodwork like cockroaches; there was no telling how many more lurked in the shadows. The thought was not spoken but lingered of what if all their action was in vain and the men they came to rescue were dead lying in a cave somewhere.

Riley found her knuckles were turning white from gripping her weapon too tight, a habit that she picked up when she was nervous. She was the one to suggest that they make landfall to the far side of the island to draw less attention; it wasn't much of a plan, but the alternative was worse. If she just went on with her life and traveled home, she wasn't sure she could live with herself when she didn't at least try, even if that meant risking her own life; now only time could tell.

The sun graced the water's edge as it dipped just below the line welcoming the night and their rescue plan. The brunette jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Maya who offered her a small smile. Things had settled down between the two, and they were back in a good grace with each other. Riley had always believed and saw the best in people and allowed room for error, and that was what the other day was. Maya was scared that she would lose Josh, and would do anything to ensure his safety; she wouldn't know what she would do if she was in her shoes.

"Ready?" The sunlight was reflecting and picking up the various blue specs in her eyes making them twinkle, Riley nodded solemnly. No matter what happened, she would at least have the peace that she did the right thing.

"I hope so," was all she could muster. If she was honest, her feet were wobbly and a heat was rising on her neck.

* * *

Getting to the island was the easy task, Riley was right about far side of the island, they met no resistance, and they landed without being seen. There were lucky to find an entrance to the series of caves that was hid behind some rocks and vines. It was agreed that the pirates wouldn't separate into smaller groups, they needed to stand together with strength. The caves were still winding but were growing in familiarity. After a couple moments, they started to hear yelling, and their pace quickened because as it grew clearer that it was Hawkins's voice.

The rocks were only able to hide the presence of a few men, so the rest stayed within the shadows of the caves. The brown pools searched the room frantically gathering information as it studied every detail. Her hand flew over her mouth to prevent a gasp at the sight of a very dead body on the ground. It was a blonde hair boy, and upon further inspection, it revealed that it was Samuel. There was also a woman that she had never seen before standing in the room, who seemed to be more interested in the ground than Hawkins's. Her heart stopped when they landed on Lucas.

He was alive.

She wasn't sure whether if she would cry with delight, or because she had worked herself into a frenzy. Every bone in her body screamed with delight, she was sure there was a chance that pirates heard her. The tension in the room was growing at a rapid rate, and Riley started to wonder what exactly she missed.

Hawkins raised his sword and slashed it against the rocks in clear frustration. He then turned towards Lucas and the older women who was hovering closer to him. Riley's heart started racing and adrenaline pumping through her system. Before she could blink she pushed past Maya's hand that was grasping for her and she stepped out between the revered Captain and Lucas. His eyes widened at the sight of her clearly caught him off guard.

"You," Now that it was too late to take back her actions, she realized that was not the wisest move. In that one moment, she gave away the surprise that was needed for Josh's crew to have the upper hand. She took one step back to realize there wasn't much room between Hawkins, the rock to the side and one of his men behind her.

"You have been a thorn in my side," he swung the sword up to deliver a deadly blow. Riley felt her heart stop; closing her eyes ready for the strike, but it never came. She peaked one eye open to see another sword had stopped the metal from slashing into her.

"I'd suggest if you want to live, that you not harm my sister." Josh stepped out, forcing the sword away from Riley.

"Josh," She could help as her lip began to quiver. Hawkins's men reached to pull out their swords only to be stopped by the billowing voice of their Captain.

"Leave this one for me." Josh switched his blade to a defensive position ready to take on whatever attack he might receive. He used one hand to shoo Riley further back ensuring her safety. Maybe somewhere in the back of his mind he always knew that it would come down to this, they had been opposing forces for far too long. He knew that he had to be careful not to let his emotions dictate and cause him to act prematurely, because that would leave him in a much more vulnerable placement.

When the first blow of metal vs metal occurred, it seemed like the whole room had grown silent and could do nothing but watch.

Maya's grip on her weapon only grew tighter, as she came to the decision, if something happened to Josh, she would kill Hawkins, no matter what it took. It was torture just to watch the two exchange footwork, but fear was holding her gaze, and she found that she couldn't look away.

Riley was frozen in place, as she watched the sword fight went underway. Every time the clang of the metal her heart skipped a beat, but she couldn't help but be in awe of how Josh used his weapon. She could tell instantly that he had training and spent hours practicing. When he attacked it was the extension of his hand; Hawkins was skillfully mastering his own, providing a fair fight. A gasp escaped her lips when the tip of his sword grazed Josh's side causing his to yelp out in pain. Riley's eyes jumped over to Maya knowing this was just as hard for her to watch, and she just wished that the blonde wouldn't do anything stupid. Her vison then swapped to Lucas and the women that was with him. Lucas had his arms around her shielding her from anything that would come to harm her, while he too couldn't tear his eyes away. Her mind started question who she was, there was a bond there; but she was sure that Lucas would explain on his own time.

The sword pierced the skin with such intensity, causing both parties' eyes to widen with shock. When they went into the duel, they knew that the world was only wide enough for one of them; one must die. And even though both had taken other's lives before in their line of work, this felt different. Hawkins stumbled back gripping his battle but failing at keeping the blood from pouring out of his body. His body started to give way falling to his knees trying to stop the dizziness. The two's eyes connected and held a silent conversation, as Josh stood over Hawkins. A couple minutes later Hawkins's soul left his body as he breathed his last breath the color draining from his body. Josh's blue pools jumped up and scanned the room, if the pirates decided to attack because their Captain died, then he would be done for. That fight took all that he had just to stay alive, and he was having trouble just walking. He did his best to walk over and out of respect pressed his fingers down on the deceased's eyelids closing them gently. When he stood back up his hand grabbed at the bleeding reminder that Hawkins left him of their fight. Maya rushed to his side to help support him so he wouldn't collapse. After all this time, it was finally over.

* * *

It was just a simple gesture, one that Hawkins's wasn't owed in the least for all the havoc that he had caused, but as Josh watched a cold lifeless body being placed on the small boat that was found in the bay. Hawkins's was a revered pirate by many, so having the sendoff in such a way, only seemed right by the pirate code.

He had made a deal with the remaining men that they could sail under him, or face a similar fate. Most of them agreed the path of less resistance, and fell under line increasing Josh's single boat into a small fleet. He didn't expect their full cooperation instantly, but he knew overtime they would change their mind.

Josh placed his hands on the wood and used his strength to wade it further into the ocean. It would be easy to let all the hardship from the past couple years to taint his life view, but just the thought of Maya kept him going through the hardest times. He let out a breath and pushed by the boat further out, and threw a lit torch into the boat. The light as the boat seemed to catch held his attention while he joined his men on the shore. Maya was quick to join him sticking to his side resting her head against her arm. She would be lying if she for a moment that she feared for his life watching Josh fight Captain Hawkins's. insert more here. She glanced over towards Lucas who had a permeant frown in his features. He didn't even flinch when Riley joined him. The blonde wasn't sure what happened in the cave, but one thing for sure, Lucas was effected.

Riley didn't know why she was nervous, he was the same Lucas that she knew when their journey first started, and he had come back alive, but she couldn't ignore the knots that were formed in her stomach. Ever since she since she realized her feeling things have been different for her, she could barely go to sleep without dreaming of him. The one thing she wasn't sure of was that the feelings were returned; they did have moments in the beginning, but she wasn't sure if that was all part of his act.

Her eyes were still glued on him, but he didn't even glance in her direction his face stone cold. She had so many questions about what happened while he was captured, but not wasn't the right time. He hadn't said much since the rescue, and it started to concern her.

"It's over now Lucas," she cautiously held out her hand and placed it on his arm to which Lucas flinched beneath her. Split hesitation engulfed her body as slight fear began to rise in what used to be confidents' place. He didn't tear his eyes away from the flames and his fists curled into balls.

"It's never over," he muttered under his breath before brushing past her returning to the ship his only source of comfort. Riley's eyes followed the blonde as her mouth dropped slightly in disbelief. He had never acted that way before, which lead to questions zipping through her mind, but what echoed the loudest was, what happened to Lucas on that island?

* * *

 **A.N.- So Hawkins is dead, and Samuel is dead, and right right you all must have tons of questions, and I promise they will be answered. I don't think it will take nearly as long to produce the next chapter, so the wait shouldn't be super long. Let me know what you think!**


	21. Chapter 21 Words Fail

**A.N.- I'm so happy to be back. Hope you all are ready, because I'm excited to give it to you. Only a few chapters left. Flashbacks are italics, and as always, enjoy the read.**

* * *

His body jolted awake gasping for air. The green eyes scanned the room to see if he woke anyone else up with his nightmare. He had tried to get the memories out of his head, but they seemed to always find their way back to him. He hadn't had a good night sleep since he was trapped on the island, and just like he suspected, it wasn't over because Hawkins was dead. He had the pleasure to witness it every time he closed his eyes no matter how much he pleaded with the heavens for it not to. His gaze crossed the room to Riley who shifted her position soundly asleep and his lips pulled up into a slight smile; she looked so beautiful when she slept. He shook his head and forced his eyes off her to the floor; Samuel was right, he didn't deserve Riley. If he had been honest with himself at the start, maybe he could have avoided whatever started to build between them. Instead now she was going to go back to her home and start to learn to help lead as a public figure, she didn't need him to bring her down. The best thing for everyone involved is they deliver her safely home and then disappear leaving her out of his thoughts. She would forget about him with all her duties that were expected of her, and he would distract himself to the point where she would just be a distant memory. A little still quiet voice argued that it would be harder than that to push the brunette away, but he swatted the voice down; this was his only option, because the last thing he wanted was to hurt her. He needed air, he decided; maybe the sounds of the waves would relax him to the point where he could settle into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Farkle, what is this about?" Isadora's laughter trailed behind the two as Farkle dragged her behind him excitedly. "Where are we going?" They were stuck on a ship; there weren't many places that he could take her that she hadn't seen.

"You'll see." He flashed a smile back at her, he was sure that she would be pleased with his surprise. They had a limited time window if he was to get away with it.

"Are we going to try- what was it called, dancing again?" Her cheeks grew to the lightest shade of pink as she curled her raven hair behind her ear. He had been teaching her new things about the humans every day, but out of all of them that was one of her favorites.

Farkle pushed down his own color that settled on his cheeks.

"No, we're here." He motioned to the deck causing Isadora's lips to settle in a thin line.

"I don't understand?" She was confused by his excitement; she had been on deck before. What was she missing?

"I paid off the watchmen to make themselves scarce." It was hard to believe that he didn't think of this before, but now they had the perfect chance for the plans they made. His blue eyes searched his hers, but all that came back was questions.

"It's time for you to go home." Her hands slumped to her sides and her vision was cast to the floor. She didn't know what she would feel when it was finally time for her to go, but it wasn't this. There were dreams of her some nights, but they used to be more resilient, and now they seemed to slip away. At first all she wanted was to return home, but now she had seen another part of the world, it was giving her pause.

"Oh."

"You're disappointed," his smile faltered as he started to wonder if all of this was a mistake.

"No," she reached for his hands and took them in her own for comfort. "I just never thought- thank you Farkle," and although she smiled, her eyes seemed to shine just a little bit less.

Her fingers started to trace patterns on his hand, and she was wondering why she was stalling, could it be that it was unlikely that they would meet again?

"Thank you everything that you've done." she leaned in gently caressed his cheek with her lips rooted in appreciated; if it wasn't for him, she very well could have been dead by now.

Farkle let out a sigh, wishing that he would have waited a couple more days before putting his plan into action. He just wanted more time with her; he didn't think that would be too much to ask. Their breaths mingled as her lips grew dangerously close to his.

"You'd better go," he stepped back wondering if they only had more time, what would become of them. She nodded and within a blink of an eye she had jumped overboard into the murky water. Farkle rushed to the edge in time to see the tip of her tail splashed as she dove further down into the depths.  
"You know I could have you walk the plank for your treasonous ways." Farkle stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of Josh's voice. Fear started spreading through his fingertips down to his feet; the deal he had made was with Maya, and that didn't include the mermaid's release. If he was on any other ship he was sure that the Captain would force him overboard without a second thought at the money that he "released" back into the sea.

"Josh," his skin ghosted and his mouth grew dry. The intelligent comebacks that were racing through his mind got lost on the tip of his tongue. All his interaction in the past when it came to Isadora was with the blonde and they had come to an understanding.

"I can explain," his back pressed against the wooden rails feeling trapped as Josh started the walk towards him. Josh nodded probing for him to continue; the inner child inside smirked at the sight of making another man quake with fear.

"I was only able to create a bond with her. I promised that I would return her," he sighed "I had no choice Josh." The sentence fragments barely made sense, but he had hoped it was enough to convince him. He was used to his words carrying an argument but now when he needed them most, they failed him. Josh's chuckle managed to lighten the mood, but it caught the scientist completely off guard.

"I have seen you risk your life for that mermaid in more ways than one; I knew it would only be a matter of time before you would stand up to me for her." Farkle's mouth started to gape open much like a fish

"Besides, not many men can say they kissed a mermaid and lived to tell the tale." The red spread like a wild fire across his face, and he was suddenly grateful that the night was able to hide it.

"Well I'm going to turn in for the evening." He pushed past the Captain and headed downstairs to the hold; Josh just laughed in response. He remembered when he was younger and the way that the opposite gender had that kind of effect on him, if he was honest Maya still did. Most of the stories that circulated the docks had many men fall in love with a mermaid, but judging by what he witnessed, he was sure that she had some feelings for him in return. He hoped that their interaction would lead to treaty talks for when they needed passage through the mermaid infested waters.

Lucas walking up the stairs stopped his mind wandering further. Lucas nodded in his direction out of respect and then made his way towards the bow of the ship. Josh took a step forward to follow him, but then hesitation kicked in. It was clear that Lucas meant something to his sister, but something felt off; the last thing he wanted was for Riley to get hurt. He barely had met the blonde, so he was difficult to read. He didn't want to ruffle any feathers between the two love birds, so he decided to return to his quarters to get some much-needed rest.

* * *

Riley took a deep breath as she tried to boost her confidence as her brown eyes settled on Lucas looking out at the ocean. She was still rattled by their interaction at Hawkins's funeral, but they would be heading back to blank soon enough, if she didn't tell him now, she might lose the chance. It wasn't every day that she realized her feelings for him, but she was trying not to lose her nerve. Bits and pieces of Maya and her conversation were stuck in her head from the previous day about Lucas wanting Maya to forget about him and return her safely. Now maybe she might finally get her chance to ask him the questions she desperately wanted answers to.

"I'm going to miss this view," she stopped just short of him her hands gripping the railing. The sea was always able to calm her nerves; she had wondered if that's what it seemed like the water called to her since she was a little girl. Lucas made some sort of grunt as an answer, but kept his eyes on the ocean. His lack of response only pushed her to try further.

"I'll have to get used to the change of scenery when I arrive back home."

"Must be nice," he replied shortly.

"But I was thinking," she couldn't bring herself to look at him otherwise she would lose her nerve. "What if I didn't go back, Josh and Maya would more than be happy to have us stay."

She watched as his lips twitched into a frown. The brunette slowly reached out her hand and placed it on his.

"Lucas, talk to me." His hand was stiff under her until he jerked it away. Riley was starting to feel her confidence slipping away again.

"What happened on the Isle?" She pushed once more, knowing that he just needed to talk to someone, bottling everything up only made things worse.

"I don't want to talk about it," he growled lowly. He already had everything play out for him in his dreams, he didn't need to relive it, especially with her. If she knew the truth, she would never be able to look at him the same, and he wasn't sure he could bear the thought.

"Lucas"-

"Sometimes you are just too much, you just push when you don't know any better. I think it would be better for us if you just let me do the job I was hired to do in the first place!"

A job, that was all she was to him. Maya's words sunk in, but it was different than what she had implied, the money was all that he cared about, not her. Any words that she wished to say died on the tip of her tongue due to shock. This whole thing was an act, and she was naïve enough to fall for it. She watched his face soften, but the damage was already done.

"As you wish," all emotion was stripped from her voice and she couldn't bring herself to look at him. With any dignity that was able she held her head high and held in her tears.

Despite his internal screaming to say something, anything to stop her, he just let her pass by. It was hard to speak with her especially since he knew their time was limited. He hadn't meant to snap at her the way that he did, she just kept prodding a wound that had yet to close, but there was no excuse for upsetting her the way that he did.

She started out as just a job; when he saw her for the first time he under-estimated her and what she would mean to him. Their personalities clashed in the beginning, but through time that started to fade away to the point where he couldn't imagine his life without her. Riley had the ability to look into people and pull out their potential of all they could be, and he had never had that in his life before. For a time, he thought it might be possible that they were able to act on their feelings, but time and fate seemed not to side with them. With the time passing, it only ensured him that they couldn't be together, this lie of what they could be when they were on the water, would be stopped short of a harsh reality.  
Riley was betrothed, but even if she wasn't; what chance did he have against any other suitors. She deserved the best that the world could offer her, which was not him. He was a sum of broken parts that people had left over the year; he was sure that caused him to make the decisions that he had.

 _Lucas gritted his teeth as he felt the chill of the dagger's metal as it began its dance across his throat. He wasn't afraid of death, but he did know that if he did cross over that it would affect his Mother's well-being, although it would only be a matter of time before she met her end as well._

" _If it weren't up to the Captain, I would have had my way with you already." The tip to the knife clipped the edge of his chiseled chin. Now that his disguise was blown Samuel had allowed his ruthlessness to bleed through, Lucas wondered how they didn't see him before._

" _It was a shame that Riley and her little crew didn't come back for you," he started flipping the blade between his hands. "That way I would have been able to finish my duel; poor girl wouldn't know what to do, but I guess that tells you where you stand with her. Good thing you didn't put your neck on the line"- he stopped for the sole purpose of throwing a wicked glance towards Lucas. "Who knew that you would do that all on your own?"_

 _Lucas tried not to let the words seep into his skin. He was happy that Riley wasn't here, that meant that Maya kept her end of the bargain. One of the last things that he wanted was Riley be in danger by treading back here. She was the one thought that kept his hope up, but after a couple days even the image of her was starting to flicker in his mind._

" _Get him up!" The voice of the Hawkins caused a chill to shoot down his spine. Maybe he came in to watch the show, or worse, join in. His shirt was grabbed roughly forcing him to his feet._

" _Cut his binds," he barked. The mark of confusion flashed across Samuel's face_

" _But sir"- He tried to interject, but Hawkins didn't let him get further._

" _That wasn't a request Samuel." He did as he was told, but he was far from happy; one of his first reactions was to rub his wrist being thankful that they were free. A sword was handed to Lucas; he didn't need an order to realize what was expected of him. It was a duel to the death, it was either Samuel or him. The sound of his mother's cries to Hawkins to stop, but the death ears. The blades crossed for the first time and it was obvious that Samuel had more strength, but Lucas held his own. They pushed back and started circling the other. Lucas went for a swing for the right._

" _It's a shame that Riley can't see me struck you down." Riley, the simple name began to fuel him and his blood started to pump. He started to attack aggressively catching Samuel off guard. Lucas's weapon caught and flung the other sword across the room. Lucas had managed to corner him and Samuel had tripped and realized that he was out of options._

" _Do it." His fallen enemy whispered. He knew that Hawkins hadn't heard him and if he didn't it would be a disgrace._ With one blow, he had fulfilled his wish, but he couldn't even look at the dead body on the floor.

 _Lucas gripped his sword tighter as his tired body stood over the dead one of Samuels. If he had more energy he would have taken the sword and charged at Hawkins, but it was taking all his energy just to stand. The Captain stood to his feet and started walking towards him; Lucas hoped that if he had plans to take his life that he would do it swiftly. His ears picked up the faint sound of his Mother crying, he didn't know if it was out of joy that he was still alive, or fear of what was to happen next. The cold grey eyes pierced his body until Hawkins burst out in laughter. The simple act caught the blonde completely off guard, but he didn't let go of his weapon just in case he needed it._

" _I wouldn't expect anything less from blood." The color started to drain from his skin as he forced his eyes to his Mother, but she wouldn't look at him, which made him sick to his stomach. The word was ingrained in his mind, blood._

He knew what was done, and hated himself for it, if Riley knew who he really was; then she wouldn't love him at all.

* * *

 **A.N.- I know I know, it hurts, it hurt to write it. Hope I'm going to update soon. Feel free to let me know what you think!**


	22. Chapter 22 Way Back Home

**A.N.- I'm back. I wanted to get this up as soon as possible. This chapter is dedicated to one of my best friends in the world Courtney aka galpalcj, she is one of the biggest support for this story. You guys should totally go check out out her stories ( shameless plug), you won't regret it. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It had been days since he had kept his promise, but his thoughts kept running back to Isadora. He missed her being around for someone to talk to, he recognized all the faces that were on board, but he couldn't say that he knew much about them.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sir, I didn't mean to interrupt." His blue eyes jumped up to Zay who had walked in on his thoughts.

"No, join me Zay, I need it." He needed a friend to talk through everything, and Zay was his opportunity. He sat down next to him with one of the best views of the ocean at the back of the ship. Although he was hesitant to talk to anyone about what was on his mind, Zay had been by his side through every adventure that he had faced out here. They had bonded further when Zay had opened up about his family, and they had conversations frequently about them.

"You miss her," he voiced boldly, and Farkle couldn't necessarily disagree. It wasn't a big secret that the scientist had affections towards the mermaid, but he wasn't sure how deep his feelings ran until she was gone.

"I feel her absence," Farkle released a wryly laugh "and to think the night that I released her, she hesitated, almost as if she didn't want to go, but I forced her because I wasn't sure there was going to be another opportunity. Now I won't see her again." Towards the end of her stay she had been learning new things about their race, and it seemed like her whole perspective about humans was shifting.

He knew that she wasn't completely absent, all he needed to do was close his eyes and he could hear her laugh, but it just made it more painful for when he opened them and realize that she was gone.

"Did you love her?" This time Zay's voice wasn't as daring as previously. Farkle let out a sigh gripping the wooden railing. There would be no shame if he answered yes, many men had grown to love the mysterious creatures, but his connection with Isadora was more than that. There were moments where he could tell that she felt it too, in the process of keeping his promise it was possible that he fell in love with her despite his scientific mindset. When she kissed his cheek under the dead of night he had felt his heart stop and he craved that experience once more. Science would say that any future between the two of them was impossible, they lived in two different worlds, but despite the urge to give up on the thought, there was a small linger of hope that they would see each other once more.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. If they had just had more time, that would have shown light on their situation with much more clarity.

"Are you going to look for her once we return?" The thought had crossed his mind, but there was so much sea that she could be lingering in, it would be an impossible task.

"I don't think so; sometimes fate intervenes when it's not meant to be." Not that he believed in fate, it seemed silly to rely on something that couldn't be founded by science.

Farkle glanced over at Zay wanting to change topic so he would get his mind off of her.

"If you could do anything when we returned, what would it be?"

"I would want to get a job, be able to provide for my family." The blonde smiled, Zay was always so compassionate when it came to his mother and sisters. His mind started turning with ideas as his face slowly lit up.

"I think I might have come up with a solution." A confused glance from his friend caused him to launch into his plan.

* * *

"You know there's still time to tell her." Lucas hated how easy he was to read when he drifted off into his own thoughts. Despite his attempts to think about anything else over the last couple days, he always drifted back to the brunette. There was a surge of emotions that ran through his system, but the one most prominent was embarrassment that his own Mother caught him within his daydreams.

"I don't know what you're talking about," He spun till his hands hit the railing as his green eyes took in the sea. He didn't want to look at his mother, because if he did she would be able to see past his defenses.

"I have been watching you pine over that girl for the last couple days, what happened between the two of you?" He felt his throat grow dry as the words that were spoken seemed to crowd his mouth. It was a mistake, that conversation; he had snapped at the girl and felt remorse because of it.

"Doesn't matter, we'll dock soon and all of this will be over." Riley deserved so much better than everything that he could offer her. His body flinched when he felt a hand caress his back lightly.

"Lucas, you have to talk to her, if you don't you'll regret it." Without looking he knew that she was looking at him like he was wounded and broken.

"I don't have to do anything but deliver her safely to her father, that's my job," he lied. He hated that he had to, but it beat exploring something that could just lead to heartache.

"I've seen the way you two look at each other, is it really just one of your jobs?" His heart skipped a beat, did she mean that she had talked or received signs from Riley. The thought caused him to shake his head to get the idea out of it, he was so close, no need for fantasies.

"It doesn't matter," he repeated hoping that if it was said enough he would convince anyone.

"But if she has feelings for you"-

"Just drop it." The direct approach seemed more appealing since she was not getting the hint.

"Why?"

"Because she is the Governor's daughter, she deserves more than"- he stopped himself and lowered his voice not wanting to draw more attention to himself, "then a pirate."

"I'm not so sure, her brother seemed to adjust to the lifestyle."

"But he's not"- He stopped short as his fists balled together.

"You can say his name Lucas,"

"Ever since I found out, I have been racking my brain to how you could love someone so, evil."

"He wasn't always like that." She interjected. "He was kid and sweet at one point. I knew him when he was younger. He always had big plans; he would go on the boats and come back with tales of the sea. We grew close fast and he promised that he was going to marry me someday; and after years and years, he kept his promise. That's when everything started to change, he grew distant and colder. By the time I realized who he had become, it was too late. On the night that he left I had begged for him to stay, that we would be enough, but he refused. We fought."-Her voice quivered as the memories flashed in her mind. "I think I always knew that I would never be enough for him." Lucas reached out and wrapped his arms around her to comfort her.

"But I would do it over again." The statement took Lucas by surprise, Hawkins was a horrible man, why on earth would she subject herself to that torture of watching him slip away.

"But why?" His mother simply smiled and cupped his face caressing his check with her thumb.

"Because you are the bright side that came out of the whole situation, God gave me you, and I thank you every day for it. The reason I protected Josh in the market that day was because I didn't want to lead Hawkins to you. I didn't think they would keep me on the ship, but I survived the whole time with the knowledge that you were safe and that God would reunite us one day." She rested her head on his shoulder as she took him into a fierce hug.

"You are not your father Lucas, you did what you had to do in that cave, but it is not who you are. Riley can see beyond to your heart of gold, I wouldn't under estimate the girl. She did beat you in a sword fight after all," her grin grew wider. Lucas looked back to Riley who was currently preoccupied in what looked like a serious conversation with Josh. Maybe she was right, and they were worth taking the risk, no matter what came from it.

* * *

She wasn't sure if the sight of her town growing larger was making her feel ill or if it was just the butterflies of seeing her parents again. They would be furious with her for running away, but that was in the past so hopefully they would move beyond that. The world that she explored when she was away would never compare to life within this small town. The brown eyes glanced over to Josh who hadn't taken his eyes off the buildings becoming more defined as they grew closer. She joined him being silent at first.

"Nervous?" He had to be, after all this time and now they would learn that their sun was alive.

"They are going to love you Josh. It wasn't your fault that you were taken from here."

"But I didn't come back, how can they forgive me for that?" It was a harder question for her to answer; there wasn't much that she could say that would bring him comfort.

"You were just trying to protect us." If Hawkins found where he lived he could have easily take full advantage of the situation.

"I had so many opportunities to visit them, and I tried, but I always talked myself out of it."

"They will love you because you are their son," the answer was enough to start to calm her older brother's nerves.

"What are they like?" Riley tilted her head to the side slightly trying to think of her answer, if he had asked her when she first ran away her answer would be different, but her experience on the sea had softened her answer.

"Dad, he means well, sometimes he is a little controlling, but he is always there if you need him." She giggled at some of their memories that they had shared together, "When he gets frustrated with you, his nose starts to flare which makes him less intimidating. He doesn't let many people see the goofy side of him, but it seems to happen right when you need it."  
She glanced over to see Josh fully engaged, it never occurred exactly how little he would have remembered from his short time with them.

"And Mother, she is a kind spirit. She would tell me stories every night as I would drift off to sleep. Although she doesn't partake that much, she has the voice of an angel, I could lounge around and listen to her all-day long." The more she talked about them the more she realized how much she had grown to miss them; she had been away from home for what seemed like so long.

"I remember," he muttered quietly as a blast of old memories shot through his mind. It was in little fragments, but they were still there.

"They will be proud at how you have grown up." Riley couldn't deny the joy that she felt watching his face light up.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Because in some ways we are exactly like them." Riley had wondered since she knew the truth how much her life had been changed if Josh had never been kidnapped. She would have grown up with an older brother, who she could have talked to, but unfortunately life didn't grant her that opportunity, but he was here now. Riley started telling Josh stories of all the mischief that she had gotten into over the years just to give him a glimpse of the real thing he what he was craving; home.

* * *

Riley almost felt like she was in a fishbowl with all the people gaping at her, if it wasn't a problem before she ran away, people would stare at her now when she was in the market; she would be known as the girl that ran away, or that came back from the dead. She was starting to recognize people's faces, and her heart rate started to increase. Would her parents meet them the second they docked, or would she have the long trek up to the house to figure out what she would say. She noticed a rather large crowd that was waiting at the end of the pier, and at the sight of her Grandmother, Mother and Father, her heart jumped up in the throat; she wasn't even sure she could say something if her life depended on it. The air suddenly burst with sounds as Josh barked orders to push his men to move to dock the boat safely. After all the knots were tied, they settled the wooden board to allow steady passage off the ship. Riley was sure that anyone around her could hear her heart beat, because that was the only sound between her ears. She peered down and the sight alone made tears start to stream down her face, she ran down the ramp and into her Mother's arms. The warmth from the hug encompassed her body and she felt safe, all the dangers that they encountered was faded.

"I'm sorry, so sorry." Her Mother hugged her tightly as if when she let go her daughter would disappear again. Her voice cooed in her ear while she stroked her hair.

"I thought- I thought you were"- Riley's lips split into a wider grin. With a reunion like this, it made her wonder why she even left in the first place. Riley moved on to embrace her father who was next in line.

A gasp from her Mother's lips caught her attention and Riley turned just in time to see it happen. Josh emerged into view and just the sight alone brought the women to her knees. Riley felt the questioning eyes shift from Josh to her, but despite the question being posed, she didn't know how she would answer. He shifted down the wood, and the second he stepped foot on the stone he was surrounded by both his parents hugging and kissing him.

"How?" The question was strangled by tears, but their eldest son smiled.

"It's a long story," His eyes flickered up to Maya who wore a bittersweet smile, "but I can start for the beginning."

"I would love to hear it all." Topanga clasped her hands together in excitement. It was one thing that her daughter was home, but Josh, she had given up hope to see him years ago.

"I can't thank you enough Mr. Friar," Corey burst into a smile "You really are as good as they say." Her father's hand wrapped around her waist in a tight squeeze, it was enough to distract the brunette the pangs that were war with her heart. Lucas joined them and shook hands with the Governor.

"Would you care to join us, we have much to discuss," Lucas's eyes flashed over to Riley who wouldn't even look at him.

"I'm not sure that's the"- With the chilly behavior between the brunette and him, he knew that this might provoke the situation further.

"I insist," Cory responded blinded to the tension, which put Lucas between a rock and a hard place. It would be considered an insult to reject his offer, so he did the only reasonable thing to do.

"After you," head lowered out of respect as he bowed slightly showing respect. Cory linked arms with his wife followed closely by Josh, Maya, Riley and Lucas in the rear, and they began the journey back up to their home.

Riley kept her eyes from wandering back to the blonde; she couldn't afford to be distracted right now, especially not by him. It couldn't be clearer on his position on their time together. In her weakness, she caved and her eyes flickered back to him for a moment only to find that his green pools were already glued to her. He offered her a weak smile which forced her eyes forward; in doing so she missed her step and felt her body being flung forward free falling with gravity. The impact never occurred, strong arms pulled her up and when she opened her eyes she was about 6 inches away from Lucas Friar. His eyes were soft as they began to search hers, his breath hit her cheek was driving her crazy and when his fingertips were running the length of her air it seemed to leave small fires in its place.

"I guess this makes us even," he breathed.

Riley got a hold of her balance and stood up ripping her body away from his touch. She had to stay strong, she couldn't fall under his spell again, and it would just leave her disappointed.

"Thank you," she ruffled her dress down to the point where no one would be able to tell she almost tumbled, "Mr. Friar." She hurried herself along to catch up to the others leaving Lucas in the dust.

Lucas's lips dipped into a frown as he let out a long sigh; he fought the urge to attack a nearby tree. He had his chance to tell her how he felt, and he blew the opportunity. His eyes followed Riley who had joined Josh and Maya once more. He knew the second that he caught her that he wouldn't be able to leave her behind, he would still look for ways to rescue her in every situation if given the chance. She was more than just a job to him, but the question that ran through his head was how he could prove it to Riley.

* * *

 **A.N.- Only a couple more chapters left! It's hard to believe that this story is almost over. I'm going to try and update as soon as I can but I owe some people some birthday one shots, so I'm going to get at least one of those done before the next chapter is up. Let me know what you think! See you next time.**


	23. Chapter 23 Shifting Tides Part 1

**A.N.- Here is the next chapter as promised. There's not a lot of chapters left, but I do hope that you enjoy it. I did edit in a hurry ( I'll re-edit when I get home from work). Without further waiting, the next chapter.**

* * *

Farkle leaned over and started to roll up his base of his pant leg. He had never really spent a lot of time at the water's edge, but he woke up early in the morning, and felt drawn to go to the ocean. He closed his eyes just listening to the tide coming and going as it pleased. He found that it was a peaceful place to stop and think and reflect. He felt the water slip over his feet it caused the tiniest smile to form. The cool sensation made him think that he was connected to Isadora in the some way, because they inhabited the same space, even though the thought process wasn't logical.

He was glad to be home, but there was still an unsettled feeling in his stomach, like a part of him was missing. He hoped that the future that he was offered would distract him from the present.

" _I just wanted to thank you for this opportunity Mr. Minkus." Zay came up and shook his hand while Farkle's eyes were still glued in the direction that The Matthew clan had just departed in. Part of him wished that he would have merited an invitation for a distraction, but now he could start by putting his plan in motion. The idea was a simple one, Farkle granted Zay his freedom and offered instead that he would travel with him as an assistant and in return he would gain some of the profit from their research allowing Zay to send money to support his family._

 _In the initial excitement of his journey, he never got to go to his original destination for his job._

 _He would teach him everything that he knew giving him skills and trades that he could use to start building a life for himself._

" _You deserve it Zay," he turned his attention back to the man in front of him. Zay was a talented individual and Farkle had hope that he would have a bright future. Farkle felt his stomach turn, if he really was going to go through this that would mean giving up the idea of finding Isadora._

Isadora, even the name when he thought about it caused his heart to flutter. Farkle knew that it was something that only time and space would heal, but deep inside he didn't want to forget what he learned. He knew more about mermaids arguably than most sailors ever would. Maybe the best way to ensure safety for Isadora and her kind would be sharing the information that he knew to better protect them. Men wouldn't fear them if they knew the truth, and maybe that would start to mend the gap that was between them.

Farkle picked up any of his belongings and headed back to his home. When he reached his destination, he was greeted with an invitation from Mr. Matthews to attend a party that night in celebration that his children had returned home. He tucked the piece of paper underneath his arm; he would attend to support Riley and Josh before he would leave the next day for Nevis, hopefully leaving his feelings for the certain mermaid behind.

* * *

It had only been a day and the word had traveled fast through the town. Maya had realized that it might have been the best idea to travel through the marketplace, she felt eyes constantly on them. It was Josh's idea so that they could get a dress that Maya would wear to the party that evening. Even with the crowds that surrounded them, it was hard for the blonde not to notice the third group of giggling girls pass them with their eyes on Josh and whispering among themselves. The first time, she tried not to let it get under her skin, but the third time when Josh smiled and wished them a good day, she was ready to snap at someone regardless of who it was.  
"Maya," he glanced over nervously at the blonde sensing the tension, "Are you feeling ill?" Josh reached out to grab her hand, but she tucked it away confirming his suspicions.

"What's the matter?" He stopped short and forced her to turn and face him, despite his best efforts she refused to look at him.

"I'm don't know if I want to attend the party tonight." Her news startled him, and he couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. This is the first time she expressed disinterest, since they landed; he couldn't help but wonder what brought on the change.

"I don't understand," His eyebrows knitted together, it almost seemed like she was angry at him.

"Talk to me," he pleaded.

"I'm not sure if I fit into this new world of yours."

"Maya," he glanced over nervously at the blonde sensing the tension, "Are you feeling ill?" Josh reached out to grab her hand, but she tucked it away confirming his suspicions.

"What's the matter?" He stopped short and forced her to turn and face him, despite his best efforts she refused to look at him.

"I'm don't know if I want to attend the party tonight." Her news startled him, and he couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. This is the first time she expressed disinterest, since they landed; he couldn't help but wonder what brought on the change.

"I don't understand," His eyebrows knitted together, it almost seemed like she was angry at him.

"Talk to me," he pleaded.

"I'm not sure if I fit into this new world of yours!" she let out a sigh. "Ever since we've come back, everything has been different. You fit in here, with the mansions, and the proper etiquette, and the wooing of women." The anger oozed off the last one as she crossed her arms.

"That's why you're mad, because of those girls? They mean nothing to me, I was just being cordial." He just wished that that he could get her to understand.

There was so many emotions running through her head, she knew that after tonight things would change completely. Josh would have all these extra expectations on him, and where would that leave them? She didn't want to lose him after all they had been through.

"I can't talk about this right now." Without a second thought she bolted through the crowds trying her best to blend in.

Josh started to chase her, not letting her leave that easily. His mind was burdened with what was wrong with his blonde. Finding Maya was harder, because she had used the tricks that Josh had taught her to lose someone in a crowd if being chased, for her own safety; now she was using it against him. After looking for her for over an hour, Josh picked up whatever hope he had on finding her and headed back to his home.

* * *

Lucas closed the door and felt a huge burden lightened from him. Meeting with Riley's father was intimidating to say the least, even more so than Hawkins. He took the opportunity to look around the mansion taking in the sight that he would probably never see again. The servants were bustling about preparing for the grand party that Cory was throwing for the return of his children; he graciously invited Lucas in their meeting and he was considering going despite that he felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb. He couldn't imagine Riley the way that he knew her in a place like this, with every move being watched, he was suddenly understanding all the stories that she had told him while on the ship.

His thoughts were interrupted by a smaller boy who looked about 12 years old running past him down the stairs with an object that was clearly not his in his hand.

"August Matthews, you come back here, otherwise I'll be forced to tell Father!" Lucas would recognize that voice anywhere that he went. He turned towards Riley and felt the breath be knocked out of him. She was wearing a sky-blue dress with her hair pulled back into an up-do bun that looked a little messy from the chase with her little brother. Brown eyes met his green ones and she stopped dead on the stairs and recomposed herself.

"Mr. Friar, I did not expect your company." Every time she called him by his last name it was like an extra twist to the knife that was in him. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to correct her as she continued her decent down the staircase till they met in the middle.

"I had a meeting with your Father," he watched a second of her cringing, before she forced herself to smile.

"Well I'm sure you got what you came for," his smile faltered when he realized what she was implying.

"Riley, l- there's something that I have to"-

"There you are Darling; I was looking all over for you." A gentleman raced up the stairs to meet Riley. The boy had dark boyish hair blank eyes and a stupid boyish grin on his face. Lucas felt his fists curl, but he didn't have a reason to take a swing. The boy pressed his lips against her hand in greeting.

"Charlie, what are you doing here?" She stammered. She was hoping that she wouldn't run into him till later, but he had found his way in. She glanced over to Lucas, but was met with a stone-faced void of emotion.

"I heard that my fiancé had returned, and I had to come see your beautiful face for myself." The heat rose her neck as she felt herself blushing. Charlie turned his attention over towards Lucas feeling the standing tension in the air.

"And I wanted to personally thank the man that brought my future wife home safely. I'm sure Mr. Matthew's thanks far outnumbers my praise." Lucas's stomach sank. How could he forget that she was betrothed? Just looking at the man prone him towards violence, and he had met him for all of five minutes. This was the kind of gentlemen that Riley was expected to marry?

He looked like he came from great money, and there was no doubt that there was something gained by the marriage.

"And to think we announce our engagement tonight at the party," he offered a smile that made his skin crawl. He couldn't stand there next to him one second longer.

"Well if you excuse me, I have somewhere to be," He a nod of respect towards Riley and then started down the stairs. Riley took two steps after him and then stopped short with his name on her lips. As much as she was angry at him, he didn't deserve what Charlie did. She turned back towards her betrothed whose lips slipped into a frown.

"Riley, darling, are you feeling well, you look pale?" Her eyes went from his face to the door that Lucas just slipped out.

"Excuse me; I think I just need some air."

* * *

Riley found that when she went out for air, it just caused her to get more fired up. All she could think about was how Charlie treated Lucas, almost if he was better than him. There was no connection between Charlie and her, it was clear from their brief history that it would never happened. If she didn't call off the engagement the whole town would find out, and then it would be too late. She marched back inside the house, but stopped short of her Father's study. She breathed in courage before bursting into the room.

"I can't marry Charlie, and if you force me to"- she didn't think of a threat that she would use, and she felt silly now with the shocked look mirrored on her parent's face. "I will get on a boat and sail off and you wouldn't see me again."

"Riley"- Topanga gasped at her daughter's sudden outburst. It wasn't until she took the time to look around the room did she notice Charlie and his father sitting in one of the chairs. Riley felt embarrassed at her outburst, but it didn't change how she felt. The young boy stood to his feet the slightest tint of red colored his cheeks. He stormed past Riley out of the room not once looking back. Riley had opened her mouth to apologized, but he was gone.

"How dare you let your Daughter saw such things about my son." Even though the sight of the elder man suddenly towered over her, Riley stood her ground, because it too late to back out.

"I didn't mean to -Charlie is a lovely gentleman, just not the one for me."

"Mr. Matthews, are you going to control your daughter's tongue, or are you going to let her stand there and add insult to injury. It would have just justified if her Father would give her backlash for what she had done. Her actions would have destroyed any communication between the two islands. When Cory stood up, Riley felt her breath stop.  
"You heard my daughter, the engagement is off," Cory tapped his fingertips on his desk, not glancing up to see the shocked faces from everyone else in the room.

"But Sir!" Charlie's father replied angrily not expecting to receive that kind of answer.

"Have I not made myself clear?" Mr. Matthews's eyes flickered over to his daughter and offered a kind smile. Their guest followed suite of his son and stormed out muttering under his breath. Topanga reached out gingerly and touched his arm.

"Are you sure?" He placed his hand onto of hers, to ease the worriedness that she was carrying.

"I've never been so sure." She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly whispering 'thank you' into his chest. She felt the heavy weight be lifted off her shoulders, her Father had just given her the greatest gift that she could imagine.

* * *

Josh fiddled with his wardrobe trying to calm his nerves. He wasn't sure where Maya was, he hadn't seen her since their fight in marketplace. But here he was about to come back from the dead, and he needed her by his side. He had sailed all over the world with her; this didn't feel right without her present. He heard footsteps and his eyes jumped up so see his second in command adorned in a red dress with golden accents. He felt his mouth go dry as his eyes took her in repeatedly.

"Maya," he hoped she didn't hear his voice crack in surprise. "I didn't know if"- He stopped himself not wanting to dig himself a bigger hole.

"Your Mother can be very convincing when she wants to be." Maya let out a soft chuckle at his behavior; it had been a while since she saw him this flustered.

"I realized that it wasn't your fault that those girls flirted with you, I mean look at you. I was just afraid that if you came back that I wouldn't fit into your world." Josh reached out and took her hands in his.

"I don't know where our future will have me, but what I do know is I want you by my side. Maya, you are passionate and loyal and imagine the world in ways that I can't. I don't care about any other girl that may flirt with me; the only one I want is you." Her blue eyes started to shine as she started to tear up.

"I love you Joshua Matthews." She reached up the tips of her fingers dipped into his dark locks as she leaned up and kissed him tenderly; he wrapped his arms around her deepening the kiss. For just a moment everything else just melted away and it was just the two of them in their own little world. When they finally came up to air Maya felt lightheaded and if she didn't have Josh to grab onto she was pretty sure that she tripped over her own feet.

"Mr. Matthews," Josh turned as he was motioned that it was time. He grinned, a boyish grin as he offered out his arm to escort her.

"After you Ms. Hart," he did a head nod causing her to giggle. They walked to the top of the staircase and Maya gave his arm a squeeze to reassure him before they began their descent.

* * *

Riley felt a little out of place, she was so used to the kind of dresses that she wore on the ship, not something this elegant that she couldn't breathe in. The dark blue fabric was smooth to the touch against her callous fingers. She peaked through the door seeing the people below were doing some of the dances to the music. It seemed that her Father had spared no expense to throw this party for his prodigal son had returned home. She had counted at least 5 different main courses and countless desserts that she would have to sneak later. Mr. Matthews had invited the whole town to the party, which made most shops close early for the occasion.

'Well not everyone,' she reminded herself bitterly. But despite the feelings associated with the blonde, she still found herself searching the crowd hoping that he would prove her wrong.

"Looking for someone?" She quickly closed the door and turned sheepishly towards her Mother.

"You scared me," Riley reached for her chest trying to stabilize her heart.

"Now we're even," Topanga teased back. Riley's lips slipped into a frown, she hadn't meant to scare her parents when she ran away.

"I'm sorry I ran off, I just"- Her Mother stopped her in any more explanation with a single finger on her lips.

"That's in the past now Riley, what's important is you are home safely." Even though Topanga did her best to calm her, the brunette still felt guilty for the way she went about it. She was sure she instilled nightmares for them in the time that she was gone.

"There would be no shame if you were looking for someone you know; there are lots of important people here tonight."

"Who would I possibly be looking for?" Riley watched as the corner of Topanga's lips tweak up which was her tell. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and rested her chin on top of her shoulder.

"I don't know," she replied coly. "Maybe a nice blonde young man who is partial to a boat and wields a sword," she tilted her head to the side trying to gage her daughter's reaction.

"He couldn't bother be here, probably already sailed off on his boat with the money that he collected this afternoon," she muttered just loud enough for her mother to hear.

"Riley," she paused hesitation laced in her features on how her daughter would respond.

"He didn't take the money," the words washed over her as confusion hit.

"What?" Nothing made sense, if he didn't take the money, then that proved that she wasn't just a job to him; he had felt something for her.

"Miss Riley," one of the servants burst through the door to her room, "It's time." Before she could overthink the situation more she found herself in a whirlwind standing in front of the town at the top of the stairs with all eyes on her, except the one person that she wanted.

* * *

 **A.N.- A lot happened in this chapter, I know. Let me know what you think! I'll try and update soon.**


	24. Chapter 24 Shifting Tides Part 2

**A.N.- I can't believe that I got to this point. I hope that you all have enjoyed the ride with this story, it will be close to my heart always. This story is dedicated to everyone who stood by and helped me grow as an Author, you know who you are.**

* * *

She was supposed to be used to all the stares and the whispers by now, maybe the sea made her soft, but she felt paralyzed. The air that was breathing slowed causing a lack of oxygen to her body. Originally Charlie was supposed to escort her down the stairs, but after she called off the engagement in the way that she did, she doubted that he was even present at the party. She suddenly felt an arm link through hers and started to move her in the right direction.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered trying to keep her concentration on not tripping down the stairs.

"You look like you needed a friend; I heard about Charlie, I'm sorry."

"Word always seemed to travel fast around here," she let out a breath, wasn't sure if it was out of relief, "I don't need your sympathies, I was the one to end it."

"Was there another pirate that caught your eye?" He half nudged her playfully already knowing the answer.

"As much as a certain mermaid has caught"- she stopped her comeback to Farkle short when her eyes landed on Lucas. Her whole body froze on the steps, not sure what to do next; he didn't leave in the best mood earlier; he was talking to his Mother with a worried expression playing his features. His green eyes jumped up to meet hers and she couldn't bring herself to look away, until Farkle used his hand to squeeze her arm discretely. She hissed in discomfort, but continued to move not to draw attention to herself.

However, when her eyes drifted back to where she saw Lucas, he was gone, like a ghost of him had come to haunt her decisions, but that didn't stop his mother was there applauding like the rest of the attendees.

She needed to know, if he had shown up, maybe that meant there was still a flicker of hope, that he had feelings for her. She quickly brushed past the people till she stopped just short of Lucas's Mother.

"Miss Riley, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Is he still here?" A flash of hesitation shown in her eyes causing Riley to reach out and grab her hands; she couldn't lose him.

"I'm not sure"- Riley couldn't blame her, for all she knew, Lucas could have told her not to say a word, but she knew what she saw, he was here. If she acted quickly enough she may be able to savage things between them.

"Please, tell me," she urged.

The plea was enough to soften the Mother's heart, after all she was in love once and would do the same thing. She pulled the girl over to the side to allow for some privacy.

"He just left, he came to tell me that he had tried to buy Hawkins's ship that Josh had acquired and told him that as long as he sailed under him, it was his to sail."

"What?" Panic started to set in, if Lucas did decide to return to the sea, there was a good chance that she would never cross paths with him again. She peered over to Josh who was currently flirting with his girlfriend and she wondered how she could not be privy to that conversation. Her brother knew how she felt towards Lucas; surely, he must have known that this information would hurt her.

"When is he leaving?"  
"Lucas said as soon as first light rises over the horizon, so he can gain the most ground. He mentioned a treasure map. I tried to get him to stay and talk, but the second you were presented, I'm certain that's when he slipped away. I did hear him mutter something about not wanting to see Charlie as he passed me."

Riley didn't blame Lucas, it wasn't like he had a positive experience the last time that the two met, but surely in a town where people gossiped to hurry along the day, he would have heard about the breaking off the engagement. She heard the whispers within her own home among the servants, but somehow Lucas didn't know. Charlie did say that their engagement was going to be announced tonight, and if Lucas held feelings for her like she thought he did, she couldn't blame him for leaving.

"Riley, if love my son, go tell him."

"How did you"- Riley stopped herself short. It didn't matter how she knew, what mattered right now was finding Lucas.

"Riley"- Farkle exclaimed making his way to the two, "Your Mother is looking for you."

The line was drawn in the sand, and the choice was hers to make. She turned to face the astounding view of the party in front of her, but despite her parent's great effort it still felt like something was missing.

"Farkle, could you relay a message to my Mother? Tell her she was right, and I'm sorry, but there's somewhere I have to be, but I will return soon." Without hesitation, she turned and picked up the edges of her dress and slipped into the shadows.

"What is she doing?" He turned to Lucas's Mother searching for answers; he wondered what was said to make Riley leave a party that was meant to honor her.

"Following her heart," she smiled turning in the direction where Riley just escaped with a light heart.

Farkle turned and headed back into the crowd with full intention to carry out the promise that he accepted from Riley. But the corner of his eye caught sight of something that stopped him dead in his tracks. He didn't know if it was a dream, or a cruel joke, but gently pushing her way to the front was none other than Isadora.

His mind started to race with so many questions, but he was having trouble to voice then with the way that she was dressed. She sported a yellow dress with her hair flowing down in light curls.

"Isadora," he breathed out suddenly wishing there was someone there that could pinch him.

"What are you doing here?" He was more than elated, but he also wanted to know how this was possible.

"Dancing with you," she grabbed his hand and guided it to her shoulder blade and placed her other hand in his before they joined everyone else on the dance floor.

Farkle was glad that he wasn't the center of attention, because he was trying not to trip over his own feet and he was having a hard-enough time concentration.

"How are you even"- He was using all his senses, but his mind still said that she could not be standing in front of him.

"Farkle, just soak in the moment," she interrupted him as she rested her head on his shoulder. He did what he was told, as his insecurities started melting away along with everyone else in the room. He was a man of science, this was not one of his strengths, but he loved to dance with her, and the way she lit up. He had missed her when she went away, but he started to wonder if she was here because she missed him just as much.

Maya's smile beamed from ear to ear as the couple made their way onto the dance floor. If anything had come of her fight with Josh, it was that she wandered to the right spot to come across Isadora who was looking lost and confused. She could take her back to the manor and after taking to Mrs. Matthews, Isadora had a dress to wear. The rest seemed to take care of itself, Topanga latched on to help Isadora like she was her own child.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" Josh leaned in his mouth just outside her ear.

"I do not know what you're implying," she could seem to wipe the smile on her face. She loved seeing the two of them so happy. She had noticed it within the first couple days of secretly watching them after the first couple days. Not that she would admit it to anyone who asked, it might look like she was soft.

"I know you did even if you won't admit it. Just one of the reasons that I love you." He lifted her hand up to his mouth.  
"Dance with me." It wasn't a demand, but rather a request, but his stomach was in knots waiting for an answer.

"What?" She laughed till she realized that he was serious.  
"Please Maya," she caved when she saw how he was looked at her, before she nodded. It was a mix between how he looked at her when they first met to the rare time they had alone on the ship. They stayed on the outskirts to avoid the attention. Maya wrapped her arms around as Josh pulled her closer.

"Thank you," Josh finally said, "you have been so supportive if me over the last couple days, I know how much it changed your world. You knew me before you found out where I came from, and you bring out the best in me."

"Josh"- She tried to stop the blush that was spreading across her cheeks.

"I'm not done. When I was alone with Hawkins, the only thought that kept me going was you, I knew that you were stubborn enough to find me," he cracked a smile. He knew how hard it was for her to keep looking for him despite everything.

"I know it's frightening when we don't know what the future holds, but I want you by my side."

"Josh what are you saying?" Their bodies slowed to a stop and Maya felt her mind hitch when he dug his hand into his coat pocket.

"Maya," his hand pulled out a ring, that the blonde knew well. It was the engagement ring that she had found on the ship. "will you do me the honor of being my wife and make me the happiest man in the world?" Josh had known for a long time that the only girl that he wanted was the women in front of him, and if she stood by his side, he felt that he could do anything.

She looked down at Josh, her stomach was in knots and butterflies all at once. This was all she ever wanted, and now it was right in front of her.

"Yes," she whispered followed by a small excited giggle. Josh's eyes started to shine, as her words started to sink in. He jumped to his feet and picked up the blonde and began to twirl her around. When her feet hit the floor, his lips crash on hers, but her mind was still up in the clouds. Josh had been very adamant that he wanted her by his side no matter what was to become of him, and if he was meant to follow in his father's footsteps then the least she could do was stand by him. She had no idea what fate had in mind when Josh bumped into her that day in the marketplace, but every day since then she couldn't imagine life without him.

Farkle used Josh's proposal to grab Isadora's hand and snuck the two of them outside so they could get the privacy that they craved. He was having a wonderful evening, but he knew that if he didn't get the answers to the questions inside his mind, he would go mad. They used a nearby bench in the garden as they place they stopped.

"Farkle?" She questioned in confusion. He laced their hands and squeezed to provide her comfort.

"Don't misunderstand me, but how are you here?" Her eyebrows knitted together in concern, thoughts of whether she made the right decision. Farkle sensed this and ran his hand through her hair gently. "I'm overjoyed that you are here, but don't you have to be back in the water?" She ran her fingers behind her ear, which was a nervous habit.

"Farkle, there's something that you should know. After I returned home I wasn't the same, all I could do was think about being above the water. You opened my eyes to what humans were like, but my own kind, they couldn't understand. That's when I knew I had to see you, but there are certain risks that involved." She paused gaining more attention from Farkle.

"If my kind are outside of water for more than a day's time, then we can never return to the sea."

"Isadora, we have to get you back"- He grabbed her hand with intent to drag her to the ocean if needed.

"It's too late." She let go and Farkle's shoulders slumped down.

"But your family, and friends, you'll never see them again. There must be something that we can do."

"I made my choice Farkle, I wish that you would respect it. I can't live my life without you."

"Come with me to Nevis," the words tumbled out before he could stop them. She already had sacrificed so much to come and visit him; he was determined to not let her out of his sight again. Despite the lack of planning, the idea was a solid one.

"What?" Her eyes jumped up and started to search his. Even though it would be could be considered inappropriate to have her travel with him, he didn't care.

"Come with me. I don't know what we will do, but we can figure it out together." In an instant, she had jumped up from her spot on the bench and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Farkle's lips rose to a smile that he wasn't quite sure could be wiped away. No matter how far he went, Isadora would be home to him.

* * *

Riley realized two things when she had to stop to gain air the first was that she misjudged the distance from her home to the docks, the second was that she wished she had changed into something more comfortable. The corset was tight against her stomach knocking the wind out of her as she ran down the streets. Despite being used to the streets her life, she still found that she was questioned which turns to take that would take her to the dock the quickest.

When the ship finally arrived, the nerves took over her body making her feet feel like lead and her head was light. As she climbed the ramp, she felt her heart stop at the sight of Lucas hunched over a makeshift table studying a map. Instead of rushing forward, she took her time and just studied him and learned things that she never noticed before. His eyebrows furrowed and his fingertips traced the outlines of the map. He almost looked like a real Captain who faced the sea and everything that is offered daily.

"Don't you have a party you're supposed to be attending?" While she was getting lost studying Lucas, he had looked up and noticed his presence; his words snapped her back to the moment.

"I could say the same for you," she boldly took a few steps towards him, "As I recalled my Father invited you to attend in thanks for rescuing me." She reached out her hand to touch his arm in comfort.

"There are places to go, people to see," he replied nonchalantly pushing past her back to the map.

"Lucas." She pulled at his shoulder till he faced her, he was lying straight to her face and it didn't seem like he even cared.

"I was just being considerate of your beloved; he didn't seem a fan of me." She felt terrible the way that Charlie treated him that way, that was one of the things that had pushed her over the edge to end the engagement.

"Why would that matter?"

"Because I'm not going to be the one that gets in between Charlie and you, so you might as well go back to the party Princess." In this instance, it wasn't hard to read the blonde, he had his arms crossed as his body hovered over her little space between them, when he said Charlie's name it was in spite, and if you looked dep into his eyes like Riley had done, a sense of longing was swirling in them.

"That might be kind of hard," She didn't know why her words were coming out breathless, it seemed like he always had that effect on her.

"Why?"

"Because you already have." Riley didn't waste a second, because she knew if she did she would lose her nerve; she pulled Lucas's head down so her lips would collide with his.

Both melted into the feeling that they have been waiting for since that night where Riley had attempted to run away the first time. She ran her fingers through his hair while he tightened his grip around her waist.

"Wait," Lucas pulled away much to his own objections. "This isn't right and as much as I want"- He stopped mid-sentence refusing to entertain his mind of what he wanted to do with the women in front of him. "Charlie is"- He didn't get a chance to finish because Riley placed her finger on his lips to keep him from continuing.

"The engagement is over, I marched into my Father's office this afternoon and told him as much; he agreed with my decision." The look of realization washing over his face was enough to make the brunette smile.

"But Riley, you don't know who I am, what I've done," Despite the conversation that he had with his Mother, the whispers of insecurities still lingered right outside his ear. She deserved to be with someone that could make her happy. All thoughts disappeared when her lips traced his once more, this kiss much more tender than the previous one.

"I don't care about any of that Lucas, through our adventures I've seen the real you; the one that would jump off a ship in the middle of the storm to save someone, or would be willing to sacrifice himself to almost certain death for those he cares about. That's the man I'm in love with." It felt so good to say, everything was laid out on the table, now she felt the nerves waiting for his response.

He took a step even closer his finger caressing her arm.

"So, you're in love with me?" His mouth held a cocky smile that she was used to.

"What if I am?" She shot back with a new-found confidence.

Lucas took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her small frame and crashed his lips on hers with a new sense of hunger. He had denied himself of her with the lies in his head for so long.

"I love you too," he uttered when they came up for air. They knew that it wouldn't be easy, Lucas was supposed to leave at first light, and Riley doubted that her parents would allow her to go after she had been back so soon, but like most things in their life they would figure it out. There was still the matter of a treasure to find, worlds to explore, and adventure brimming off the horizon, so many questions out there with the shifting tides, but Riley didn't fear the unknown; the adventures in the past only prepared her for the many to come.

* * *

 **A.N.- So there you have it. There will be one more chapter but it might not be story filled, but rather what can you expect from me next. If you all have any questions for me feel free to PM me or leave it in a review. I'll answer any and all questions during the next chapter. Let me know what you think. Also I'm also updating a hurricane story later today.**


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